Reclaiming His Chair

Reclaiming His Chair: An interview with Ryan Burrack

        “The potential for me to screw up will always be there,” Ryan Burrack, a senior at Kennedy High School expresses to me while describing the pressure, anxiety, and excitement that goes along with participating in the annual Iowa All State band competition.
       For the past three years Burrack has been competing in this elite competition and has been accepted one other time with his tenor saxophone. This year was his last and final year of participating.
       Ryan picked up the tenor his freshman year at Kennedy only because one of the directors, Mr. Wacker, made him play it in jazz band. Mr.Wacker was confident in his abilities and told Burrack he was, “up for the challenge.” From then on, Ryan mastered the tenor saxophone. He went on to compete in multiple competitions, like All State, and still continues to succeed. However, those victories were not easy to accomplish.
       Preparing for the All State competition is crucial to being accepted. To prepare, Burrack spent at least an hour a day practicing his tenor throughout the week, and two or more on the weekends. He also had a lesson every Sunday which he says they, “Help me incredibly.” The first step, according to Ryan, is learning your scales. In freshman year he learned most all scales by ear and now they’re, “Ingrained in my brain,” he says. Not only are scales a major part of the audition, you are also expected to prepare two etudes and a solo of your choice. In choosing a solo, he picked a piece he was familiar with, so perfecting it wouldn’t be as difficult. Burrack described the etudes as a long process of working out rhythms and understanding the musical phrasing.
       Along with preparation, confidence is vital to the performance. Burrack expressed that in past years he didn’t believe in his abilities. He described his previous performances as “mediocre.” However, this year he has found confidence and is determined to make it in. Burrack tells me, “Yeah, I’m confident in my abilities, but whether the judge thinks that or not is another story.”
       I asked Burrack what his obstacles were and what he was nervous about. His answer was simple, and I feel most everyone can relate to what he said. “The only thing that can really stop me, is me. Whether it be a crappy performance, or I get too excited or too nervous, I can lose to anyone. It’s as simple as that. But honestly, if I can’t even believe in myself, then it doesn't even matter who the other people are, I’ve already lost.” Being confident in your abilities as a performer and a musician are key to doing amazing, especially in a competition like this.
       Although the pressure is colossal, Burrack assures, “Making it is amazing, and honestly, all the nervs and excitement is exhilarating.” Despite his doubts, Ryan is looking forward to attending the competition and reclaiming his seat for a second time.