Perfect pitch is the ability to identify a note purely by ear, and about 4% of people have this talent. Senior Kianoush Rahimi taught it to himself.
Rahimi is involved with Camerata Choir and is also a leader of Bass Value, a male a cappella group. He is known for his musicianship and composed approach to leadership.
Music isn’t new to Rahimi. His mom encouraged him to learn to drum when he was five, and he played three more instruments before he began singing. After hearing Camerata sing at the All-Town Chorus Concert when he was in middle school, Rahimi was not only impressed but inspired to join himself. His freshman year, he participated in Concert Choir, then joined both A Cappella and Camerata his sophomore year. He is also currently a teaching assistant for Concert Choir.
Leadership was relatively new for Rahimi when he became a manager of Bass Value, but he quickly learned what he had to do to succeed in that position.
“As a leader, the most important thing is finding a balance between hard work and productive rehearsal time, and also enjoying ourselves. That’s been my main focus while leading Bass Value, and I think I’ve improved over time,” Rahimi said.
Senior John Carroll, a member of Bass Value who has sung with Rahimi since freshman year, attested to his innate leadership abilities.
“Whenever it comes to rehearsals and group practices, you see a real switch in him. When he gets into a position where people expect something of him, he steps up to that,” Carroll said.
Typical of a student-run group, like Bass Value, students can be rowdy and distracted at times during rehearsal. Rahimi has developed his own strategies to create the most focused and productive environment possible.
“It’s a big challenge. Sometimes we ask people to put their phones away, or I print out music so we don’t rely on phones.
I also talk to people individually and emphasize that this is serious and requires focus,” Rahimi said.
Carroll said the group responds positively to Rahimi’s coaching because they look up to him and know he has their best interests in mind.
“He keeps a calm mind, especially when other people in the group are stressing or when it’s his own individual problem,” Carroll said.
Rahimi said that in addition to his leadership skills, he also possesses the rare musical ability of perfect pitch.
“It’s not the typical perfect pitch that people are born with. When I played cello, we always tuned to the note A. Over time, I memorized that note and then learned other notes relative to it. Now I have all the notes memorized, so it’s more of a learned perfect pitch, which is less common,” Rahimi said.
Carroll also said that Rahimi has changed since they first met.
“I’ve seen him really come out of his shell. Freshman year versus senior year, he’s a completely different person. I’m so glad he’s gained serious confidence in himself because he’s just a great guy all around,” Carroll said.
Rahimi attributes much of his improvement to Choir Director Michael Driscoll, his teacher, who has served as his mentor and musical influence. Rahimi said that is the reason he decided to be a teaching assistant and why Bass Value has such a good work ethic.
Junior Ivan Epworth, a friend of Rahimi and a member of Bass Value, said that he knows Rahimi will be successful in any career he chooses, but his friends will be sad to see him graduate.
“He seriously brings everything he can to the table, and it’s really huge shoes to fill in the future,” Epworth said.
Rahimi said that music is an extremely meaningful part of his life, and the connections and community he has made with it will encourage him to find musical opportunities as he leaves high school.
“I think [music] will always hold a special place in his heart,” Carroll said. “He’s just going to keep improving, learn more about himself and prioritize what matters most to him.”
