His head bobs almost imperceptibly as his fingers dance across the keyboard. With a clear, resonating voice, he sings lightly along, experimenting with various notes. Curious heads turn to watch the near-legendary Middletown High School musician at work as he scales the keys, piercing every note with precision and grace.
Few students are unfamiliar with MHS senior Bryan Vanek’s name. If they have not seen it featured in chorus and theatre programs or on the morning announcements, they have probably heard him mentioned by students and teachers. His accomplishments, not just musical, have been monumental.
Most recently, Vaneck was a member of the MENC All-Eastern Choir. His audition for All-State Choir qualified him for the unexpected honor.
“When Ms. Parsley told me the news, I was struck speechless and kind of lost the feeling in my legs,” he said. “Then I ran outside and screamed for joy. I had wanted this ever since I found out about it in 6th grade, and I finally got it.”
Only a handful of students are chosen to perform with the choir, making his selection all the more significant. The choir learned seven difficult pieces in four different languages. The experience with the choir was one of his most memorable, and was well worth the effort.
“I don’t think I’ll ever get to have another experience like this again; the best high schoolers from all around the east coast — 358 of them, to be exact –coming together to perform in Providence, RI, under the direction of Paul Rardin from the University of Michigan,” he said. “The challenges really didn’t consist of the notes; it came with actually creating an efficient blend between 358 people, then applying every little dynamic and articulation.”
This achievement was hardly an easy one to reach, however. The audition process was difficult, and the pieces for the choir were enormously complex. Hard work is not, however, new for Vanek.
He credits his success to practice.
“In order to succeed with these things, or anything, for that matter, you can’t just daddle or practice for only an hour a week,” he said. “You have to dedicate your heart and soul into whatever you do and stick to it.”
For Vanek, such dedication has meant years of effort and difficulties; although he started taking an interest in music at five years of age, he developed a passion for the art from an inspirational family member.
“I enjoyed my lessons and being in choirs, but never took them all that seriously until around 5th grade when I saw my sister up on the high school stage performing a vocal solo,” Vanek said. “At this point, I said to myself that I wanted to be that good at some point in my life, and this was around where I really took off.”
Vanek has, indeed, taken off. Not only an avid member of vocal ensemble, jazz ensemble, and theatre at MHS, Vanek is a finalist for Maryland Distinguished Scholars: Talent in the Arts, president of the Tri-M Music Honors Society, and a composer of numerous original choir pieces. Outside of music, Vanek is the National Honors Society treasurer, a Senior Executive Board member, and one of 30 students who will be participating in a University of Maryland summer engineering program.
Such accomplishments originated from Vanek’s self-motivation and high standards.
“I’ve always viewed myself to be somewhat of a perfectionist, so I can get pretty bummed at little mistakes — sometimes too bummed,” he said.
His attention to detail has given him the opportunity to experiment in many areas of music. Vanek sings, plays the piano and drums, and has perfect pitch, meaning he can identify musical notes without any assistance. He is familiar with many musical styles, and has composed his own pieces during his spare time.
“With writing my own compositions, it’s challenging to create a powerful and meaningful piece while simultaneously keeping it as original and as fresh as possible,” said Vanek.
His motivation to keep improving and challenging himself is derived from the exhilaration of achieving a hard-earned goal.
“It really helps when someone comes up to you after a performance and is sincere in saying that you really did a good job with something,” he said.
Despite his own self-motivation, Vanek is grateful to the many people who have inspired him to continue his progress.
“When it comes to my growth as a musician, you can’t become a good one without friends and family: Teachers to say what you can do better and introduce you to new topics, parents to encourage you to go the extra mile, and friends to laugh with you when you’ve made a mistake,” he said.
To balance his busy school and extracurricular schedule, Vanek makes sure he takes time to enjoy himself.
I’m involved in a lot of stuff, and while I can handle it most of the time, sometimes I get really stressed out,” Vanek said. “These are my stress relief tactics: a good video game, a calming choral piece, or a good game of ultimate Frisbee with my friends.”
Vanek’s musical career will continue after high school. Although he is planning on completing engineering major, he will either double major or minor in music.
“In terms of my music career,” he said. “I plan to continue to write choral pieces…I was accepted into the Honors Program at UMD College Park as well as the James A. Clark School of Engineering.”
No matter his decision, music will always be an integral part of his life.
“Don’t ever give up music,” he said. “It’s something that you can keep with you for the rest of your life, and unlike sports where it typically becomes harder to perform well, the more experience you have with your instrument, the better you get.”
Vanek is always willing to learn from his mistakes. Whether he’s stretching his musical talents at home, in the chorus room, or onstage, he manages to find value in every experience.
“Always do your best with whatever you do, and don’t be afraid to accept help from friends, even if it’s criticism,” Vanek said. “Everyone makes mistakes when it comes to playing a piece, but as long as you are able to say to yourself that you’ve done your best, then there’s no reason to feel bad.”
