Giving your life to something isn’t always a conscious decision. Sometimes, you don’t even realize that a decision has been made. But the years pass, and slowly your life grows into twice or thrice the thing that it was and, eventually, you cast retrospective eyes over your shoulder and notice the topography of your existence. And perhaps you notice the lives of others who you touched along the way, and see the beneficial things you did for your fellows. And maybe when others look at you, they might see these things also. And perhaps they will decide that what you have done for them is meaningful enough that they want to do something for you, to return in gratitude some small part of your gift.
Helen Mendelson Kerwin gave much of her life to the teaching of piano, spending more than forty years teaching students in the Oakland County area. Now on Friday, just prior to her eightieth birthday in October, an annual guest lecture series is being established in her honor at the University’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance.
“It was something I wanted to create with my wife and my younger brother,” said Brian Kerwin — University of Michigan alum and Helen’s son. “We wanted to honor my mom … She’s been very involved with the University of Michigan School of Music, for years and years. She has two degrees herself from the University of Michigan.”
This is the inaugural year of the guest lecture series, which came about through the efforts of Brian Kerwin, his wife Kelly Kerwin, his brother Dr. Glenn Kerwin and SMTD faculty and staff.
“I called the director of development at the School of Music, said that I wanted to do something to honor my mom, do something more than just write a check and have some form of endowment (or) give a named professorship,” Brian Kerwin said. “I really wanted to give something back to the students, and I thought that bringing in a guest lecturer on an annual basis from outside the Ann Arbor area would be of interest to some of the students.”
The Kerwin family also has close personal associations with the University, beginning with Helen’s father.
“Her father came from Russia — no money, didn’t speak the language, learned English, worked a job to pay to attend the University of Michigan Engineering School,” Kerwin said. “He was so grateful for everything the University of Michigan provided that he really encouraged my mom and her brother both to attend the University — which they did.”
He also noted the roots of his mother’s deep love for music, a feature also rooted in their family.
“My grandmother was a piano teacher, and my mom’s love for music and piano, in particular, came from her mother,” Kerwin said. “As far back as I remember as a kid she’s been teaching students of all ages for years and years. She has a number of students who are rather successful.”
The lecture series concept, he added, was meant to continue his mother’s legacy of teaching.
“(My mother) really made a big impact on the lives of many,” Kerwin said. “She’s a special person, and a very special teacher. From everything I’ve heard she has not only instilled a love of music in countless students but also life skills.”
Dr. Yoheved (Veda) Kaplinsky, chair of the Piano Department at The Juilliard School in New York, will be the first guest lecturer.
“The way we set up the gift-trust was to really give a lot of discretion to the chair of the department of piano,” Kerwin said. “So (the department chair) would be able to pick what they think would be a top-notch person and then to allow that guest artist or lecturer to present what he or she thought would be of most interest.”
Kaplinsky is slated to hold a series of events for the program.
“(Kaplinsky) will do a two hour master class in the morning, where a select few of UM piano students will perform a piece or portion of a piece of music,” Kerwin said. “The professor, in front of the audience, will critique the playing style and the technique of each of the students.”
Additionally, the evening will feature a combination of lecture and lesson coaching from Kaplinsky, in which University of Michigan students will teach other students, with Kaplinsky guiding their methods. This will also feature a live lesson by Kaplinsky.
“One of the professor’s students from Juilliard is flying in, and Professor Kaplinsky will also do a sort of mini piano lesson,” Kerwin said. “So the University of Michigan students will get to see how she would conduct a piano lesson. And then that student will perform during the reception.
“It should be a nice, fun, informative type program for the students at University of Michigan,” Kerwin added.