ST. LOUIS — Brianna Komorech is into music.
“I just love making music,” the Marquette High School junior told 5 On Your Side.
She expresses that love by playing the tuba. She became interested in the instrument by going to Mizzou football games.
“I really didn’t ever care about football team or the cheerleaders. It was like the marching band,” she said.
She started playing the tuba in the 6th grade and went to work at getting good at it.
“I’m a competitive person so I started working like really, really hard and then like in a year I just like skyrocketed,” she said.
She made the high school marching band. Even though she was improving, Komorech wasn’t sure about her skill set. She still decided to take a risk a few months back and tried out for the Bands of America Honor Band.
“You know what, I’ll give it a shot and then I was blown away,” she said.
She was blown away by the fact that she made the team.
“It was just like a huge shock,” she said.
She’s one of 300 high schoolers from around the nation to make the band.
“I’ll be playing with the best of the best and that’s the exciting part of it,” she said.
They’ll all be playing in the 133rd Rose Bowl Parade. It will be a challenge for Komorech because the tuba is a challenge.
“It’s a tough instrument,” she said.
What makes the tuba tough is the amount of air that it takes to blow a note.
“If I am playing a piece that goes really low, cause like your low notes need more air, you feel like you are about the pass out,” she said.
She’ll be playing while marching along the 5.5 miles of the parade route which adds to the challenge.
“They made that very clear. If you don’t think you’re up to it then don’t do it. I’ve prepared for the march itself but not playing in the march. So that is very terrifying,” she said.
She is working to get herself completely ready for the parade by training her body as well as practicing the tuba every day.
The musical opportunity that she once considered a long shot has her believing in herself more.
“Everyone else sees all the great parts of you and so you should bring that forth and bring it to the world,” she said.
The world will get to see her talents on January 1, 2022 when the parade steps off in Pasadena, California.
You can watch the parade live on New Year’s Day morning on 5 On Your Side.