Brian Lee, a senior, is the current senior editor-in-chief of The Rambler. He’s risen to the task of leading The Rambler alongside faculty adviser Mr. Hubert. Despite it being his first year in Journalism class, Brian makes it apparent that he is all in when it comes to The Rambler. He is the unquestioned leader on brainstorming days, helping other students with ways to make The Rambler better than ever before.

However, he doesn’t just lead The Rambler. He has made his rounds around Prep. Whether it’s his involvement in clubs like Campus Ministry or National Honors Society or being a top student, taking numerous Gannon and AP classes, Brian has his work cut out for him.

Most recognizable, however, is his singing prowess. Students may have heard him mostly from singing during school Masses. If they somehow never noticed his voice, he has also been in musicals at Prep, furthering his vocal presence in the MVP department at Prep.

Brian says that he’s been singing for as long as he can remember. He dates it back to 3rd grade when his knack for singing came about. Growing up in a family that loves music, it’s no wonder how he grew up to have an aptitude for music. 

“When I was little, we would always have music just playing in the house,” he said.

Also, when he was younger, he would always be encouraged to sing, and it drove him to pursue it. This constant presence of music and encouragement ultimately led him to his passion for music and singing. 

Brian says that music has been a big part of him and has played an integral role of shaping him now. He finds it a great way to express himself emotionally and also finds a sense of relief in singing.

“There’s something so relieving about just belting out a song you relate to,” Brian said. “It’s a big release for me.” 

He also appreciates music, and his favorite element of music is how it can be interpreted. “A dozen people can listen to the same song, same lyrics, and interpret it in different ways,” he said. Seeing how people look into the deeper meanings of songs depending on what they’ve gone through is one of Brian’s favorite parts. 

Music and singing has also led him to find many friends who share similar passions. As he’s been singing, he’s been apart of many choirs and was even a member of the Junior Erie Philharmonic chorus. He’s been able to interact and meet new people which is also why Brian loves singing so much. 

In addition to choirs, Brian was also a part of plays and musicals at Cathedral Prep. He had a big part as Marius the musical Les Miserables his freshman year, and in his sophomore year he played the role of Pepper in Mamma Mia. However, once junior year came around, he unfortunately was unable to keep up with both school work and theater. Nowadays, he is unsure whether he will make the choice to come back or not. With college applications and his AP classes, it will be hard for him to make that choice. 

His road with music hasn’t always been a smooth battle. There have definitely been bumps in his road. With singing and music in general, Brian gets very vulnerable, and self-critiquing had become a part of his singing.

“I feel like I’m super hard on myself,” Brian said.

This overwhelming amount of critiquing and self-awareness had led him to become a perfectionist when it comes to his voice. Over the years he has worked on technique and perfecting his craft. While there are elements of self-critiquing now, it’s not nearly as harmful. He is quite confident in his music.

As for the future, Brian says that his involvement music will have to be on the back burner. With his want to major in biochemistry, his academics might have to come before his music. However, because it’s been such an integral part of his life, he wants to stay involved. He does have some long term plans. 

“In the long run I’m only just gonna do chorus stuff and independent music, songwriting by myself and posting it as I do it,” he said.

Ultimately, Brian encourages everyone to be a part of music. Whether they have had prior experience with it or not, it’s a good way to calm yourself. 

“I feel like if you aren’t involved in music you should definitely try it because it really is personally impactful.”