JustArts sat down with Jason Mraz in Gosman's varsity weight room last Thursday night before he performed at Brandeis with the Roots. An eccentric and charming young man, Mraz discussed a variety of different topics, ranging from how he keeps his scrawny figure, why he was excited about Brandeis, to his fetish for women's pole vaulting and where he finds his inspiration.

justArts: So where do you get the inspiration for your lyrics?

Mraz: Well, after hours and hours in the weight room, and really getting the blood flowing, trying to get the left brain to balance with the right through drinking lots of water, I then think back to the many relationships that I've had and hope to have. Basically every song is a relationship in some sense. Whether it's a lover, friend, family member or business associate. That to me is where stories evolve.



justArts: Who do you count as your musical influences?

Mraz: Anybody, I think who has made music has inspired me. Whether it's a guy in a dorm room playing guitar or it might by Liz Phair, and the way that she retains youth, and still manages be a mom and rock at her professional career. Or whether it's the Roots for Christ's sake, and the way they do their own thing. Every time I turn on the radio, whether it's good music or it's the most ridiculous pop that I need to change immediately, I'm easily influenced, you know?



justArts: What is your favorite part of performing live?

Mraz: Sweating and laughing. Those were two things I was told to do if I want to live a long, healthy and happy life. I need to sweat everyday, and I need to laugh everyday. Performing live is a hell of a lot easier than lifting weights. So, you get a good sweat going, you talk to the folks, you do something stupid, you get a good laugh, you know, you feel good.



justArts: What is the message that you hope to convey to your listeners through your music?

Mraz: Well, I hope they too chose to sweat and laugh. I have yet to really narrow down what my sole purpose is and what this message is that I am meant to relay in music, but if anything I hope people interpret the songs for themselves. If they get a message out of it, I hope it's just that they become aware of their own creative energy. Because I think that is how I got turned on to performing, by seeing other performers and saying "Wow, I want to make the most of my creative choices." And creative choices are anything from getting dressed to combing your hair to the kind of tea you prefer, the color car that you purchase. Every choice you make is a creative choice. I think it's important that we are aware of that. So that way we make our choices a little more interesting, a little more vibrant, a little more colorful. Whether you want to get into art or business, or caring for your grandmother -- you can be very creative in that. That if anything is what I want to convey. Be creative; don't bash other people for the choices they make. Be happy; create.



justArts: What do you think sets you apart from other male singer/songwriters in your musical genre?

Mraz: I lift more weights than they do. What sets me apart is that I don't gain any muscle. I still remain very fragile, very wiry. But I do that with my own mind. I challenge my body to remain very insensitive, so that way I can achieve maximum spooning if I am ever with another. I don't think too many other songwriters have that mental capacity to lift as much weights as I do, and yet stay so weak and scrawny.



Editor's Note: The following transcript is from the WBRS portion of the interview session with Jason Mraz, conducted by Matt Closter.



WBRS: How did you get started playing the guitar?

Mraz: I got started playing guitar because I had a roommate that played guitar and I thought that was rad. I envied the fact that he could just sit around and sing songs and make up his own songs. And I would make up songs to his playing and whatnot. At that time I was studying musical theater in college. I had to have an accompanist to sing my songs, plus I was singing songs that had been around for centuries, it felt like, and the only thing you had to do was audition against other people to sing those songs. I thought what a nightmare. I just want to sit in my apartment and sing. So this guy started showing me chords and as soon as I learned two chords I was off and running. And that was it.



WBRS: Where did you go to school?

Mraz: I went to school a couple different places. I went to a school called AMDA, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. We called it "SCAMDA," because it really didn't do any good for any of us. Except it did get us to New York, where we experimented with a lot of drugs and sex, which we don't need to tell the young children. I tried school later again, thinking I was ready and more of an adult, at a small University in Virginia called Longwood. People often called it "Bongwood," or "Longwoody." It was one of those types of schools.



WBRS: What is the craziest way that your last name has been pronounced?

Mraz: Mayer. People say " M. Raz" as if there is a space there. People say "Mo-rantz," they add an "m" and a "t." Another one people say is "Mo-raz," sometimes adding vowels before the R. I'm used to it, I grew up with the name so when you are at a bank or say you get arrested and they are like "State your name, spell your name," you're like "Mraz, M..R.." and you look down at their paper and they've already written like "M..A." It's really bizarre.



WBRS: What is your dream playing venue?

Mraz: Other than Brandeis?

WBRS: Oh you're too kind.

Mraz: The only thing is that I get to watch pole vaulting all day. Women's pole vaulting, while I'm waiting for the show. You know, we don't get that everywhere, and that has kind of been a dream of mine.

WBRS: Well then you'll have to come back.

Mraz: And you know how much I love to lift weights. The facilities that you have here, conveniently located next to the stage, really makes my life easier.

WBRS: I'm sure that will make everyone happy to hear at Brandeis. Thanks a lot Jason.

Mraz: Thank you.