Portrait of a young artist: Jeff Rawitsch

This week's Student Artist is Jeff Rawitsch. He has been singing in choirs in school since the sixth grade and has continued to do so ever since. During his senior year in high school, he was the president of his choir. After graduation, he decided to take a year's deferment on his admission at Tufts to join a group in Los Angeles called the Young Americans. The Young Americans are a performance choir, whose main goal is to tour the United States _ and now the world _ promoting music education in schools. Over the course of one year, he traveled through the southern United States and to New Zealand and Australia as part of the company. "Being a part of that was the single most wonderful, educational experience of my life to date," Rawitsch said.

Once he got to Tufts, Rawitsch joined the Chorale, Chamber Singers and Opera Scenes Ensemble. In Chorale, he had a solo entitled "Libera Me" last semester in a performance of Gabriel Faure's "Requiem," a piece with full chorale and orchestra. He has been on the Student Board of Directors for Chorale since he came to Tufts, and was part of the team that got Student Activities recognition for the Chorale last year. While there are no official titles on the Board, Rawitsch is lovingly known as "The Chairman" because he sets up the folding chairs for rehearsal.



Daily: What made you first want to sing?

Jeff: My homeroom teacher in sixth grade was the choir teacher, and every Monday she had sixth grade choir rehearsal during homeroom time. Anybody who didn't want to be in choir had to go to another teacher's homeroom during that time. Rather than doing that (I was a lazy guy), and with my mother's extra encouragement, I stayed. I've been in choir ever since. What a fluke!



Daily: Would you rather get a solo in a full chorale and orchestral show at Carnegie Hall or, replace Justin Timberlake in N*Sync?

Jeff: Hmm...let's see: Gain prestige among the musical elite, or have millions of teenyboppers pining for my autograph while dating Britney Spears? Tough call... Though I do think that N*Sync exemplifies everything that is wrong with pop music today (okay, okay, they are good to their fans and the Backstreet Boys are worse). But, if I chose that route, my sister would think me infinitely cooler.



Daily: What draws you to classical music?

Jeff: This is interesting. I am not actually a big fan of classical music when it comes to listening to it. But when I sing classical music, whether or not I can understand the language, the feeling of the piece definitely comes through. It is a very powerful feeling to be singing a Requiem line about the "Day of Wrath" at a low dynamic, with the orchestra playing intensely soft, then everyone bursting into double forte and standing up singing, "RISE AGAIN, YES RISE AGAIN!" Sheesh, listen to me. I can't even read music, and I sound like some low life music critic. Oops, sorry Marc...



Daily: Jeff, let's settle this once and for all: American Idol or Star Search?

Jeff: Since I've already dissed N*Sync, and at risk of losing ALL of my friends who enjoy so-called "Reality" T.V., I won't tell you how I feel about American Idol (but at least they sing oldies medleys with Burt Baccarach.) But, hey, if I was on that show, I'd be hot stuff, huh? I mean, really! It's about time, dammit! I'd have to beat back the ladies with a lot of male chauvinist rhetoric, or a stick, whichever is handier. And, if I won, I'd be a millionaire! Very few Child Development majors can make that claim. Besides, Star Search is for kids (whom I enjoy working with dearly.) So I say bring it on, Simon Colwell! We could both do a lot worse.