Meet Rotem Shafran, a twelfth-grade student, who has been living and breathing music since birth and has been playing piano and guitar since a very young age. Today, he is one of the most promising upcoming artists on the Israeli indie scene.
By Lemur Magazine
What was the last song you listened to? And what do you most expect listening to next?
Well, the last song I listened to happens to be my future by Billie Eilish. She just had her first show of her world tour and I’m going to see her in Paris so I better get my lyrics in order.
And something that I’m excited about that’s about to come out next- ummm, oh there’s this really incredible singer which I recently started listening to, Lizzy Mcalpine. Her debut album is incredible, and she’s about to release another album in april! The three singles that have been released from it are really good, and she has the most beautiful voice, so I’m looking forward to it!
What do you want to be when you grow up? And How would your 10-year-old self react to what you do today?
That’s probably one of the hardest questions ever to exist. I know that I want to be doing what I love, and as of this moment that thing is music. I see myself performing for people who want to listen to my music and feel something because of it. Yeah, I want to make people emotional to my music, something that they could relate to, and I could express myself through making it.
I think 10-year-old Rotem would be pretty happy about the things I’m doing today. In a way, I’m making some of his dreams come true, so that’s definitely a good enough reason for a smile.
What’s the career highlight you’re most proud of?
My career has barely just begun, but a specific moment I can recall is the night before my first single was released, I gathered all my closest friends in a room, and performed the entire album, front to back. None of them heard the songs until then, and it felt like a great way to start the journey.
What is the one thing we should pay more attention to as human beings?
I think that we’ve reached a sort of climax as a society. We have a global pandemic that has been going on for almost two years now, causing damage to pretty much everything that felt so familiar and safe before. The condition of our planet, with global warming and everything that is going on right now, is getting worse every year, and it doesn’t look like that’s changing any time soon. Hate, racism and abuse surrounds us everywhere we look. Maybe now is a good time for every one of us to start thinking how they can improve, what they can do that they haven’t done yet, to help, to change the situation for the better. I know for sure that there is a lot more I can do.
For right now, what or who inspires you the most?
I have always been inspired by my surroundings. My family, friends, and other people around me, the places I go to, things I see or listen to, etc. I’m currently inspired almost entirely by my own experiences, not ones of people I’m close to, and I hope that this will change, because I would love to be inspired by other things as well, thinking more outside my box and maybe seeing things differently.
What do you most enjoy spending money on?
My family and loved ones, for sure. If I would speak selfishly, I’d probably choose a cool music-gadget-thingy that I have no idea how works or how to use it.
What is your superpower?
I think I’m a very caring person. And I don’t say it to brag or anything like that, I’m just aware of the way I care and worry about the people close to me and I think that’s one of my strongest qualities. So, “Super-Care”? Haha I don’t know. If it doesn’t have to be realistic I think I’d go with flying, I mean, come on…
If you could go back to any time in history, where would you go?
This is actually pretty funny. After months of putting it off, me and my dad finally sat down and watched “Hamilton” on disney plus. I’m trying really hard not to go on and on about how it’s seriously one of the best things I’ve ever seen or heard, but to answer the question I would probably go to 1790-ish, after the revolutionary war, I’m pretty much living it everyday anyway…
Currently, what is your biggest challenge?
I am facing some real challenges currently, but I think I just need to overcome my fears and believe in myself a little more, maybe try to take things a little more lightly and focus more on the good. That would probably do me good in life in general.
What is your most irrational fear?
When I was little I never Agreed to sleep with my door closed because I was afraid that someone would come in and try to kill me or something. It always kind of stuck with me, although nowadays I just leave a small crack in the door. When I come to think about it, If someone was to get through my door I wouldn’t hear them if it was open, so…