Michael A. Levine and Rafaela “Rita” Crevoshay
In this inspiring interview, songwriter Michael A. Levine and Rafaela “Rita” Crevoshay discuss the award-winning “Rita’s Song,” personal transformation, authenticity, and the powerful message of living truthfully at any stage of life.
1. Your journey from lifelong gardener to author, advocate, and inspiration for “Rita’s Song” is remarkable. Looking back, what has been the most meaningful part of sharing your story with the world?
The moment when my cousin Michael and I ascended to the podium at the Grauman Chinese Theatre to accept the Grand Prize for Music Video marked the commencement of my new life, my authentic life. The Golden State Film Festival appropriately awarded Michael for his creative prowess but, in my case, I had no role in the film’s production – it was my story. Not a story written by me, but a story lived by me. It was the first time I had been openly and very intentionally exposed to the public since my gender transformation. I faced a crowd of nearly 500. That exposure revealed a me that was totally honest and Transparent for the first time in my seventy-six-year-old life. Decades of hiding in plain sight, in my male persona, supported an invisible deception, one designed to conceal my true female identity. It’s a slippery slope. If not managed with vigilance, deception can occupy the conscious mind like a viral outbreak. Gender transformation terminated my deception. At the moment of the crowd’s applause, I was liberated.
2. “Reimagining Your Garden: Visions of Transformation” connects biodiversity in nature with personal transformation. How do you see the relationship between cultivating healthy gardens and cultivating an authentic life?
Biodiversity is nature’s norm. Our planet’s spectacular diversity within its three kingdoms: plant, animal, and fungal, validates our human quest for authenticity. Estimates of living species reach almost nine million. That mind-boggling variety of life forms forms irreversible diversity for humans, and suggests that we align with it. It establishes a lesson that we must not shirk – that we ought personally to cultivate diversity in body and soul. We can achieve harmony with Earth’s life forms by encouraging our hearts to seek our unique authenticity. Human creation displays endless diversity, physically and culturally. It’s our responsibility to promote and protect it.
3. “Rita’s Song” beautifully captures your transition and the emotions surrounding it. What was your reaction when you first heard the song, and how accurately did it reflect your personal experience?
It was a surprise to hear it. I had no idea that Michael had written and recorded it. He brought me home from the hospital and offered it. I was flabbergasted by the depth of his sensitivity. It showed a profound understanding of my trans journey. In essence, he got it right, and I knew it immediately.
4. Transitioning at the age of 76 required tremendous courage. What would you say to people who may still feel afraid to embrace their true identity, regardless of their age or circumstances?
Many friends and admirers have praised me for my courage – it ain’t so! We do what’s necessary in difficult circumstances. Perseverance wins success. Courage is merely window dressing. Embracing authentic identity is often about issues unrelated to gender. For many people, of all ages and genders, it’s about realizing a dream that has always seemed out of reach. I had my Pinocchio moment of fulfillment 65 years after first experiencing my dream. Don’t fear the struggle; we are on earth in this life to evolve. The transformative energies available to you favor your success. Hang in there and persevere!
5. The music video uses a striking transition from black and white to color to symbolize your journey. Which scenes or moments in the video feel most personal or significant to you?
I guess I’ve watched the video at least 108 times. I still cry every time I see it. The scene that shows Ralph’s face reflected in a mirror that shows Rita’s face is particularly moving. It reveals that Ralph lost many years in hopeless frustration in juxtaposition to Rita’s knowledge of the great future that awaits her. This is all very real to me.
6. With the success of the book, song, and award-winning video, your message is reaching audiences worldwide. What do you hope your legacy will be for future generations of gardeners, creators, and people seeking the courage to be themselves?
There’s a comprehensive question!
My original goal, before the completion of the transition, was to achieve a major impact on our food and agricultural system. What I’ve learned since has inspired me to expand the scope and focus of my message. I remain deeply involved in agricultural reform efforts. It continues to be my life’s mission, but now, it’s part of an expanded mission. I’ve acquired a role of leadership in the Transgender community, or more accurately, it has acquired me. I’m willingly obligated to help my Trans sisters navigate the social chaos that contaminates our lives. I’m often introduced to terrified Trans teens who can’t see their way forward. I urge them to look at me, a newly transitioned Gal who is in the final chapters of her life – and I’m thrilled to be female at last. They need to be reassured that their entire life is ahead of them, and life is gonna be good. I’m Rita from the video, and I say so!