2025 Competition Entry:

The In-Between by KEVIN GERZEVITZ

Genre

Pop

Co-writer(s)

no

Performer(s)

Kevin Gerzevitz – vocals, piano, synthesizers
Michael Manring – electric bass
Kathryn Keats – backup vocals
Drums – Chris McGrew

Description

This song was written for my brother, who many years ago travelled to Antarctica right after suffering the loss of his girlfriend to cancer. I began the lyric while thinking of him on that boat in the southern Hemisphere. I’ve since extended the lyric to include a dear friend, who through her personal struggles with grief and trauma, found a way back to fully living a creative life with constant gratitude. Both people have deeply inspired me and this song is for them.

Bio

Kevin Gerzevitz is a professional musician, composer and teacher based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is a keyboardist, specializing in piano, accordion and jazz organ, and is often performing with Vintage Jukebox Orchestra, Turnaround Jazz Ensemble, the B3B4 Organ Jazz Quartet, as well as The Kevin Gerzevitz Trio and Quartet. He has a BMA from the University of Michigan (1990), majoring in Music Theory and German, an Orff-Schulwerk Teaching Certification from Mills College (2005), and is currently the Music & Movement specialist at Pacific Primary School in San Francisco.

Kevin worked closely in the 90’s with music producer Mark Needham and talent agent Jeff Saltzman, along with Michael Franti’s guitarist Jason Bowman on a recording project called Memory.Man, cultivating his songwriting skills and left hand synth bass chops. He has shared the stage with José Feliciano, Michael Manring, James Carter, Sheldon Brown, Todd Boston, Silvia Nakkach, Ed Sarath and Dave Liebman.
KG TransAmerica.HEIC
​​Kevin has scored several independent films and has produced music for advertising, multimedia and musical theater. He has worked with Pixar’s music editor Barney Jones, and with award-winning sound designer James McKee at Zoetrope Studios, providing musical cues for Francis Ford Coppola on his post-production work of The Rainmaker (1997), and has performed for Coppola and his family at their annual harvest celebration at their vineyard in Napa.

Kevin co-wrote the music for the solo show by artist/writer/performer Kathryn Keats titled, The Hummingbird, which won Best Solo Musical award at the Marshstream International Festival in 2021. An article in BroadwayWorld.com (Oct 07, 2022) called it a “gripping new piece of musical theatre”. During the interview, Keats discussed working with Kevin and commented, “ …he is first of all a genius and incredible to work with, and really one of the most loving people. He plays every instrument and knows all about sound…he can play anything, so it’s pretty magical to have a music partner such as him. Not to mention when he plays, his dynamics and his ability to express on the piano are just incredible.”

Lyrics

Brother, while you feel the pain
Remember yesterdays when after the rain
The sunlight came

And you kept yourself from falling
You’ll always hear me calling
Out your name for inspiration

All alone you might feel out at sea
While the moon’s looking down at you
Trying to set you free

Reaching backwards, pulling forwards
We find ourselves in the in-between

While the moon shines bright
Deep into the night
Just remember

So is she
So is she
So is she

Sister, while you changed your name
Remember that tomorrow’s the same
When you’re playing the game
Of rearrange

But you kept yourself from falling
You’ll always hear me calling
Out your name with inspiration

All alone you might feel living free
While the moon’s looking down at you
Trying to let it be

Reaching backwards, pulling forwards
We find ourselves in the in-between

While the day shines bright
Deep into the night
Just remember

So is she
So is she
So is she

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