Fred Cohen, Director
School of Music and Dance
Where were you before coming to SJSU?
Immediately before coming to SJSU I served as Professor and Director at the Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University (Georgia). Previous to that I served as Professor and Chair of the Cali School of Music, Montclair State University (NJ). I began my academic career at the University of Richmond, becoming Chair of the department in 1997.
Tell us something about your personal life, such as your family or your interests outside of work.
My wife, Judy, is a violist and an elementary school special education teacher. I have three daughters: Emily, Isabel, and Olivia. Emily is in graduate school in Philadelphia; Isabel works in San Francisco; and Olivia is in college, currently enrolled at the University of Ghana. I grew up in San Francisco, and I love the outdoors generally—hiking, especially—and all things cultural! And Philz.
Why are you excited to be here?
I grew up in the Bay Area and feel blessed to return home. San José State University has dramatically improved the lives of so many people—including some of my relatives—and I feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to work with this extraordinarily gifted group of faculty and students, focusing on the challenges facing us this century. It’s a great honor to be welcomed by this remarkable group of people at this extraordinary moment.
What is your educational background?
I grew up in the San Francisco Boys Chorus—I was a member for seven years and worked for the SFBC as a stage director for several more. I attended mostly public schools in SF, graduating Lowell High School. I went to UCSC as an undergraduate (to study psychobiology) and received my masters and doctorate in music composition from Cornell University. I’ve studied additionally at Stanford University’s CCRMA and IRCAM.
What do you enjoy about teaching?
I am ever mindful and inspired by John Keat’s 1819 note in a family letter, “Call the world if you please ‘The vale of soul-making.’” Education is soul- making, soul-changing. In my opinion, the goal of education is to focus on challenging the minds of individuals to become active, to comprehend and become thoughtfully critical in a complex world. And I am fairly obsessed with finding ways to educate myself, as well as exploring how teachers educate others. I strive to make my classroom a place where students Stop and Think, and where I offer a dramatic second chance to my all.
What do you enjoy about being a specialist in your field?
I have been active professionally as a bassoonist, conductor, and composer. Over time, I have gradually focused more and more of my efforts on composition, which has become increasingly meaningful, providing the greatest opportunity to express myself and comment on the world I inhabit. There is nothing more profound than writing a beautiful line, complementing it, and setting music aloft that enhances and reflects our world. Writing music awakens my soul, and I hope it has similar benefits for my listeners.
Please give us a quote that sums up your personal, educational, creative, or scholarly philosophy.
“My interest in making music has been to create something that does not exist that I would like to listen to. I wanted to hear music that had not yet happened, by putting together things that suggested a new thing which did not yet exist.” —Brian Eno
