Reed Fifth Grader Makes An Impression In Every Key

By Susan Coney

At first glance Yossi Kohrman-Glaser appears to be just like any other fifth grade boy as he mingles with classmates during orchestra rehearsal. Yossi, who is interested in a variety of activities such as soccer and basketball, is also a gifted composer and musician who has already gained national recognition at a very young age.

“I have perfect pitch,” Yossi said in a nonchalant manner. “When I was 4 years old I could pick out notes on a xylophone. My parents discovered I had perfect pitch when they were dialing the phone. I could distinguish the notes by listening to the tones made when pushing the number buttons on the telephone pad; I could tell them, ‘that’s an A,’” Yossi said. “It’s not something you can grow in to, it is something you are either born with or not,” he said.

Having just started playing the viola when he entered fifth grade last fall, he has picked it up rapidly and was moved to a more advanced group of orchestra students, his orchestra teacher Mardi Smith said. “He has perfect pitch. He is amazing. He’s played classical piano and guitar for a long time; when he entered fifth grade we arranged to have him play viola. He just started this year and picked it up easily because of his background,” Ms Smith said.

Yossi began playing classical music on the piano and guitar when he was 4 years old. “I’m big on music, I’m a pretty serious musician. I do work at it and have lessons every week,” Yossi said. His favorite subjects in school are math and science.

Yossi began composing music when he was 5 years old. “I’d walk up to the piano and play around to compose a piece. I’ve written six pieces since kindergarten. I have composed works to enter each year in the PTA Reflections contest. I’ve won every year at the state level and twice at the national level since kindergarten,” Yossi stated.

The PTA Reflections program encourages children from preschool through high school to create works of art for fun and recognition. Every year Newtown students are invited to submit works of art in four areas: literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts.

In addition to being recognized in the PTA Reflections competition, this year Yossi has also been recognized with a national award from The National Association for Music Education (MENC) for music composition. MENC’s mission is to advance music education by encouraging the study and making of music by all. The organization was founded in 1907 and is responsible for the development of the National Standards that set forth the first comprehensive set of educational standards for K–12 arts instruction under a grant from the Department of Education, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Yossi’s composition entitled, “Etude in E Minor: Hurricane Season” will be showcase along with 16 other compositions by elementary through university level students from across the nation through MENC’s 2006 Student Composition Talent Search.

Selected from four categories including piano, solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble, the music masterpieces will be presented by the winners during the Young Composers Concerts at MENC’s 60th National Biennial In-Service Conference in Salt Lake City in April.

Every other year MENC selects compositions that are judged to be the best representative works from six divisions throughout the nation. Applicants submit original musical scores and accompanying audio recording of the works, along with their resumes and written applications for review by a national committee.

Due to a conflict in the family’s schedule, Yossi will not be able to attend the conference, but will be represented by his audio submission.

His orchestra teacher, Ms Smith said, “Yossi is good at everything. He’s very talented in many areas. We are really proud of him so it’s great to be able to share that.”