Pianist blends lessons of composers' lives, works

BY TALI ISRAELI

Staff Writer

MARLBORO - Pianist Dennis Kobray brought the spirit of Mozart to the pupils at the Frank J. Dugan Elementary School last week.

Kobray, a former piano teacher, has been performing "Meet the Musicians" shows since 1986. As part of the program Kobray takes on the persona of several great composers.

Kobray, of Millburn, Essex County, has performed at more than 6,000 schools throughout the Northeast and visits about 300 schools per year.

"It's a lot of fun," Kobray said about performing what he calls "living history programs."

The elements of the program include a live piano performance, authentic character portrayal, carefully researched historical content, mural backdrops and taped excerpts of choral and instrumental works.

Kobray is able to portray nine different notable musicians - Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin, Johannes Brahms, George Gershwin, and a friend of Scott Joplin.

At the Dugan School on Nov. 13, Kobray portrayed Mozart. During his performance he told the story of Mozart's life, including intimate details about the composer's family and how he became one of the most renowned musicians in history.

Mozart was born in Austria on Jan. 27, 1756, and died at the of 35 on Dec. 5, 1791. This year marks Mozart's 250th birthday.

According to Kobray, Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of music in his lifetime.

Mozart taught himself how to play the piano at the age of 4 before his father took over conducting his lessons, Kobray told the pupils. At the age of 5, Mozart wrote his first piece of music.

Between the ages of 6 and 10 Mozart traveled throughout Europe with his family and performed at concerts and palaces, Kobray said.

In the first four years of Mozart's young adult life he wrote more than 150 pieces of music, which Kobray said is more than most musicians write in a lifetime.

As he was playing the role of Mozart, Kobray told the pupils he uses music to paint a picture.

"Music is more than notes that make nice sounds, music is a language," he said. "Musicians put themselves, heart and soul, into their music. We keep the notes and the spirit of the musician alive. Mozart's music still speaks to us and tells us a story."

During his presentation Kobray taught the pupils that hard work, dedication and practice are the key factors in living out their dreams.

"I knew that if you really love something and you're not afraid to work hard and try, you can do anything, and I loved music," Kobray said as he portrayed Mozart.

The goal of the program is to expand the pupils' knowledge of music, Kobray said in an interview following his performance. The most rewarding aspect of performing in front of children is "seeing the look on the kids' faces when I play a piece they've heard but didn't know where it was from," he said.

The music these composers wrote is incorporated into everything children listen to, from cartoons to commercials, to songs played by an ice cream truck, he said.

Although Kobray said he enjoys performing for younger children because they get excited by the aspects of the story, he said middle school students are able to stay engaged in the music longer and are more aware of the historical facts he discusses during the program.

The event was part of the cultural arts commission, which is funded by the Dugan School PTA.

Nanci Susino, chair of the commission, said the committee coordinates about five cultural arts events a year for the school. Kobray's performance was the first event the commission scheduled for the 2006-07 school year.

The commission's goal is to introduce educational events involving music, science and social issues which coincide with the school curriculum, Susino said.

Vice Principal Earl Tankard said the cultural arts commission provides a tremendous amount of opportunity for the pupils. He added that the events offer a great learning experience for the children.

Sheila Knox, a member of the commission, said with Kobray's program the children are not only exposed to the music of Mozart, but they learn the history of his life as well.

Maia Judd, a music teacher at the school, said Kobray's program will help the pupils understand Mozart as an actual person and will show them he had to develop his musical talent just as they have to do the same.