Romel Jarin
Evening Division Assistant

Romel Jarin was born in San Diego, Calif., but like many "military brats" (his father was in the Navy), he lived in many places, including Millington, Tenn.; Charleston, S.C.; and Sacramento, Calif. He earned a B.M. in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory and a B.A. in international relations from San Francisco State University. Before coming to Juilliard in the summer of 2001 he was in the Young Artist Apprentice Program at Sarasota (Fla.) Opera.

Romel Jarin in the chorus of Oberto in Sarasota, Fla., in March 2001.

What do you remember about your first days at Juilliard?

I was just getting to know everyone at the School (I didn't think I would go from one conservatory at one end of the country to the other!) and then 9/11 occurred just one month into the job. It was a sad time and I remember the Juilliard community coming together to help each other heal from that experience. Since then I've really enjoyed working here and getting to know everyone, from students to faculty and fellow staff members.



What job at Juilliard would you like to try out for a day and why?

It would be interesting to see what it's like to be in the I.T. Department. Those guys—especially the Colleague team—don't get enough credit for what they do. When there's a problem, they go at it until it's solved.



What is the strangest or most memorable job you've ever had?

I would have to say my former part-time job as a pre-loader at U.P.S. has to be way up there. Imagine having to get up at 3 a.m. to get to work, load those brownie trucks, and then go on to school till 5 p.m. Add to that opera rehearsals or practicing. Then try to squeeze some socializing when time permits … My fourth year was like "24" in that one thing led to another without letting up.



When did you start singing?

It wasn't until my senior year at San Francisco State that I got into singing. I took a singing class that my roommate suggested, and the teacher (who sang in the San Francisco Opera chorus) encouraged me to give opera a try. I've been hooked ever since. Soon I realized that I really had an aptitude for music. I had played the clarinet in junior high and high school as well as sung in some choirs, but I never really took it seriously. To start off so late was a little unnerving at first, but I was able to catch up for the most part. The real challenge was finding out what voice type I was. After going through a few voice teachers, I think that I'm finally comfortable with what I should be pursuing in terms of repertoire and roles.



How do you balance your job and your artistic endeavors?

Since I'm making the transition to singing tenor, I try not to annoy my neighbors by practicing in my apartment too much. It's all a matter of balancing the work schedule with rehearsals. Fortunately, my boss is very understanding and flexible with any rehearsals and performances that occur.



What other pursuits are you passionate about?

I really love sports! Football (both professional and collegiate) is what I'm most passionate about. I also follow all the others as well, like basketball, baseball, soccer, the Olympics, etc. Last summer I played on the Juilliard softball team and we kicked some tail! That was a lot of fun.



If out of the blue your boss said to take the day off, what would you do with your free time?

Ideally it would be to take the time to learn new roles or repertoire. Practice, practice, practice ... If I could, I would learn an opera a week. The great tenor Enrico Caruso said it best: Singing is "90 percent memorization, 10 percent intelligence."



What was your best vacation?

Years ago I took on my first roles in opera in Rome, Italy. It was a summer program to perform Die Fledermaus and I got to live in the "Eternal City" for a month. Living in a foreign place for the first time was daunting at first but I learned a lot from it. Getting to know the people and the historic sites was exhilarating.?I was quite fond of strolling around the piazzas after rehearsals with fellow cast members and experiencing la dolce vita: food, wine, gelato …



What is your favorite thing about New York City?

The vibrancy of city life here is like no other. Whenever I go home or even visit relatives in New Jersey, things seem too quiet. San Francisco may be the most beautiful city, but it doesn't really have the "wow" factor that New York does.



What book are you reading right now? Or what CD are you listening to?

I'm actually rereading a Tom Clancy novel, Red Rabbit. Recent international events motivated me to go back and read this novel again, about a fictionalized effort to stop the Pope's assassination attempt in 1981 by the K.G.B. As for the CD that I'm listening to right now, I've just bought a 1969 live recording of La bohème featuring Luciano Pavarotti and Mirella Freni. A great CD of two great singers on top of their game!