Senior Profile: Jason Martin

Jason Martin is multitalented, if nothing else. As he graduates this spring with a degree in political science, Martin will be able to say he participated in Tufts drama department performances and independent Tufts theater shows as well as Tufts Dance Collective all in his four years here. This doesn't even include the internship Martin had this spring with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development in Boston. To say he has taken advantage of all that Tufts can offer is an understatement.

Martin's interest in the arts didn't start at Tufts. Since a young age, he has always loved theater and music, and in middle school, he performed in school plays and was a part of a rock band. Then, in high school, Martin acted in fall plays and spring musicals every year, performed in the school dance group, sang in a cappella groups and even directed a one-act show. Martin spoke to balancing so many artistic activities in his pre-collegiate days.

"In high school, I did all of these different things because it just made sense to me. They all were sort of overlapping and connected, but I was happy to be doing all of them," he said.

As he arrived at Tufts, though, Martin took some time away from theater.

"I was trying to figure out my interests again, and I didn't want to dive into too many things and get spread too thin," Martin explained.

Despite this, Martin spent his first two years dancing with Tufts Dance Collective and Spirit of the Creative.

"I've always sort of separated dance and theater ... as like two separate things of mine, and while I do love theater, I think I kind of have just more of a love for dancing," Martin said.

Having known Martin for most of his life, this writer can attest to this love. No matter what the social situation, he has been the most confident person this writer has ever seen. Any song comes on at any place and any time, and he isn't afraid to hop in and dance in front of plenty of people. It's incredibly admirable.

As his time at Tufts went on though, Martin started to get back into theater. In the spring of his junior year, he finally auditioned for one of the Tufts drama department shows.

"I really am glad that I got back into it, and I hope it shows that with the arts here at Tufts it’s never too late to get back into things or try new things you know?" Martin said.

This past fall Martin starred as Flick in the drama department's performance of the musical "Violet" (1997). His performance spoke a thousand words about how far he has come as an artist. Being able to see the totality of his growth, this writer was amazed by his voice and acting, remembering the days of him as the lead singer for a band at a middle school talent show.

Ultimately, Martin's time as a member of the arts communities at Tufts speaks to the ideas of growth and commitment, both as a performer and a person. His story should attest to Tufts' openness in its extracurriculars. For any student interested, it's never too late.