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B en-Ari first picked up a violin at the age of five, but to anyone who's casually picked up an instrument, it's clear that at just five years old, it's virtually impossible to simply become a master. "Frankly, I really don't remember," she said about her beginnings. "At the age of five, however, you're not really choosing the violin; it really has to come from the parents. I was fortunate enough that my parents introduced me so young, and I guess I liked it. It was a long road with a lot of work," Ben-Ari stated. "I was just a young hopeful attending the Jerusalem Music Academy, founded by classical violinist and composer, Isaac Stern. After a few master classes with him, he recommended that the foundation gift me a violin of my own." To this day, Ben-Ari still cherishes that violin, considering it a priceless keepsake. Ben-Ari revealed that "most importantly, it's what you do with the gift. When you're introduced to any instrument at an early age, it develops the brain in incredible ways." She spoke of a friend, Dr. Charles Limb from San Francisco, who is a surgeon, neuroscientist, and musician at the University of California and has carried out research on topics ranging from the neural basis of musical creativity, to the impact of cochlear implants in hearing-impaired individuals in regards to musical perception. Using fMRI, he's focused on the imaging of the brain of jazz musicians as they improvise. He believes that improvisation is imperative to creativity, but more so that creativity is vital to problem-solving, evolution, and simply to survive. "I follow this area of study very closely," Ben-Ari said. "I believe that there's a lot to be explored, and it's going to affect everyone when we uncover the mysteries of this particular area of the brain." Her move to New York proved to be a turning point in her life, affirming that she "was always a little gypsy, moving all over." She explained: "I came to the states at 15, after winning a competition. This was one of the first times I realized that music had the ability to transcend geographical borders." At 18, she returned to Israel to serve her compulsory military service, but quickly returned to New York after completing the service. "I really grew up in what I call a 'classical bubble;' in my house, there were a few classical radio stations that would play. Maybe the occasional Pink Floyd or Beatles, but a heavy focus on classical," Ben-Ari recalled. "I remember hearing Marvin Gaye for the first time and just thinking 'wow;' it was really mind-blowing. The soulfulness of that music is what pushed me to make the move," recalling that it was up to her to discover modern music styles. Considering that more modern genres like hip-hop were still in their infancy and some 5,700 miles away when Ben-Ari was born, New York's music culture would serve as a gateway for her to create her own unique sound. Thereafter, she received a scholarship from The New School to study within the jazz department. "I didn't have money to pay tuition, so I was taking small gigs to make payments. They ended up failing me due to attendance, and once I failed music, they revoked my scholarship." She was fast to mention, however, that she quickly got her "swift revenge" against the school that failed her by winning a Grammy for her work on Kanye West's The College Dropout, the irony of which is, well, more than obvious. "I really can't imagine professors failing students for lack of attendance," she added. "I understand the need for rules, but if you're a teacher, you need to see beyond that and evaluate the potential, the enthusiasm and the willingness of students." After receiving her Grammy in 2005, both her career and personal image were quickly elevated to that of celebrity-status. After humbly recognizing her situation, Ben- Ari founded (and still heads) a nonprofit called 'Gedenk' (meaning "commemorate" or "memorialize" in German), an organization which promotes acceptance and tolerance to today's youth. "We have a responsibility to educate the next generation," she told me. "Acceptance and tolerance aren't simply inherited, they must be taught. If we don't teach this [to the next generation], we're bound to repeat past mistakes. My life's mission right now is to use music to heal." Acceptance and tolerance aren't simply inherited, they must be taught. If we don't teach this [to the next generation], we're bound to repeat past mistakes. My life's mission right now is to use music to heal. " " V U E N J . C O M 62 VUE ON THE ARTS

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