Trevor Rabin
Trevor Rabin
Trevor Charles Rabinis a South African American musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and film composer. Born and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Rabin was born into a family of musicians. After taking up the piano and guitar, Rabin became a session musician with a variety of artists prior to forming his first major rock band Rabbitt who enjoyed considerable success in South Africa. In 1978, Rabin moved to London to further his career, working as a solo artist and a producer for...
NationalitySouth African
ProfessionGuitarist
Date of Birth13 January 1954
companies create hit left profit record rejected satisfy several song
Several record companies had rejected my song 'Owner of A Lonely Heart' on the grounds it was 'too left field.' I never create to make a hit just to satisfy some record company executive's quarterly profit statement.
stopped yes
The reason I stopped doing the band is that I wanted to do something different... Yes had become like 'Groundhog Day' for me. I loved being in the band, but it was album-tour, album-tour, different album-different tour.
band explore knew living movies music orchestral perfect seemed yes
Yes was a band where we could explore some of those ideas, but I knew that if I wanted to get into orchestral music and make a living at it, movies seemed to be a perfect spot.
composing life score time
The process of composing the film score for each movie is completely different. They all have their own personality and their own completely different life, but there's never been a formula. Each time, it's a new thing.
active africa aware black chills coming election family gave grew lawyers music south struggle
We were a very politically active family. My father was one of the first lawyers in South Africa to have a black partner, so I grew up very aware of the struggle going on. Coming from that background, it really gave me chills to have my music be a part of the election of the first black American president.
fan involved jerry kid music playing producer watch worked
Jerry Bruckheimer is the most hands-on producer that I've worked with. Jerry's very involved in the music, and he's such a fan of film. When you watch him playing back the cues to the picture, he's like a kid in a candy store.
left shows thousand
I was in Hiroshima with my assistant, and I said to him, 'You know, I've done close to a thousand shows with Yes. I think I'm done. I don't think I can do another one.' I went back to L.A. and left the band and got into film.
allowed good led piano taught technique ways
I never actually had a guitar lesson. I taught myself the guitar from piano exercise books, which led me to have a pretty good technique on the guitar and allowed me to find different ways to do things.
classical merge music natural playing rock
I just loved classical music, but I also loved playing rock guitar, and I loved playing piano, so it was a natural thing that those things would merge at some point.
approve brutal clear explain point south until
You're a white South African, and right away you have to explain yourself. Occasionally, I get hassled until I explain my point of view. I have to make it clear that I don't live there anymore, and I don't approve of the brutal racial policies.
couple met movies samuel three yes
Yes well I've done three movies with Samuel L. Jackson, so I've met him a couple of times already. Well, I see him everyday, but its only on the screen.
applied contrive implies products somehow studied
I hate how things must be classified. How this is applied to musicians implies that they somehow contrive their products and have studied the demographics of the audience.
chair creative dad family grew mom musical piano symphony teacher
I grew up in such a musical family, and my dad was the first chair in the Johannesburg Symphony Orchestra, and my mom was a piano teacher and a painter, so it was kind of a creative environment, and it was kind of in my DNA.
america belong feeling feelings grew life living negative remember sad south
I belong in America more than South Africa. I can't remember the feeling of living there anymore. It's like it was in another life. That's sad in a way. It is my country. It's where I grew up. You don't know what it's like to have these negative feelings about your homeland. There are roots you can't escape.