Wagner College's Jewish Culture Series featuring Ben Morss

                            (Presented by Wagner’s Chai Society)

March 28, 2006, Staten Island, NY…Wagner College’s Jewish Culture Series will feature a discussion on  Jewish influence in American popular music le Dr. Ben Morss on Monday, April 10, 8:00PM in Spiro 4. The lecture is free of charge.  To reserve a seat, please respond to rsvp@wagner.edu.

            Dr. Morss, Assistant Professor of Music at Concordia College, played piano and was arranger for the college rock circuit favorites, “Cake” and their album “Prolonging the Magic” as well as for the new album by the platinum-selling band, Wheatus. A “beat” (digital musical loop) he assisted in creating recently was sold to Mary J. Blige.

            Dr. Morss' former rock band, the Pilgrims, was on the charts of college radio stations nationwide and received tens of thousands of downloads online. His playing was featured in the films “Sidewalks of New York” and “L.I.E.” He played with the California acid-jazz group 11:11 at festivals such as NXNW and SXSW and is a member of the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

            Recently, Ben has been music director for “Songs for a New World” in Delaware, “Anna Bella Eema” at New Georges in NYC, an original reading of “LOST,” “Master Class” at the New York State Theatre Institute, “I Love My Wife” at the Helen Hayes Theatre in Nyack, and on staff at the Queens Theatre in the Park, and the Emelin Theater in Mamaroneck, and “The Most Happy Fella” at the Asbury Summer Theatre. Morss also wrote the music for “Pop Star,” a musical for teenagers published by Samuel French and is writing a children's piece for the Vital Theater's 2006 season.

            Last year, Morss arranged the music for the stage adaptation of Trey Parker's “Cannibal! The Musical.”  Ben has a doctorate in composition.  His new crossover group, the Infinite Orchestra, has been playing around Manhattan at venues such as the Knitting Factory, Sin-E, and the Cutting Room.

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