Conversations with Avi Rafael

Today we’d like to introduce you to Avi Rafael.

Hi Avi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been around musicians. As the youngest sibling in the family, my brother was the first musician I looked up to. Later, the inspiration came from talented people in music programs I’ve taken part in. I’d never forget the moment I fell in love with the saxophone. I was already playing the clarinet for about about five years, and it was then when I saw a sax player improvising a solo in a jazz big band setting. I lost it. I couldn’t understand how someone got to sound so cool WHILE ALSO IMPROVISING everything they play on the spot.

It took a few years of listening to jazz and sax players, and then I decided I want to be that too. It was a hard decision, considering I was already doing well with another instrument, but I couldn’t ignore the fact I’m totally in love with that new sound and concept. Ever since I switched, I never looked back, and the sax is probably my longest commitment in life so far.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is never a smooth road, and we grow and develop with each bump. My first purchased sax (excluding rentals) was an extremely overpriced cheap instrument that I bought because I didn’t know better. My first professional and expansive mouthpiece was dropped and ruined by my baby niece. I also started experiencing asthma. I almost dropped out of Berklee College of Music after running out of savings, and the list continues.

But…
I learned from that overpriced sax experience and never got it wrong again. I had my mouthpiece fixed, and even made it better, which made me super motivated to continue. I learned that sax playing (and exercising) are among the only activities that make me feel better when I have an asthma flair-up. I also got an extra scholarship from Berklee for working harder and managed to graduate Summa Cum Laude. Every challenge in life, whether we like it or not, would improve us as human beings if we would manage to overcome it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My musical goal as a sax player was always to bring my most authentic sound to benefit the music as best as I can. That goes for my own music, as well as for working with other great musicians.

At this point in life, my name would be synonymous with the modern \ fusion sound of the saxophone. That’s my true passion, and that’s what people know me for. But although that’s what I’m known for, I can always match my sound to any musical occasion.

Some of my recent and ongoing collaborations, which I’m stoked about, include working with some truly phenomenal and world-renowned musicians. Among them: Ruslan Sirota, Eliad Nachum, Misha Segal, Tali Rubinstein, and Asher Fedi to name a few.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Find your passion and work endlessly to get to live it. The discipline itself, and the work to get to the end goal, are just as important as that end goal (if there’s even an end goal). So enjoy that journey.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avirafaelmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AviRafaelMusic/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/avirafaelmusic
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/avirafaelmusic

Image Credits
Abraham Joseph Pal, Artlist, Giulio Rose Giannini