Bryana Salaz Takes On The Voice
Kalli Morris
From the hallways of Mascoutah High School straight to the big stage and being broadcast across America to 12 million viewers, The Voice contestant Bryana Salaz has captured hearts across the nation. The seventeen year old senior, better known to her friends as Bry and recent transfer into Mascoutah High School, explains her journey as a talented teenager to a household name. She hasn’t let her stardom go to her head, but instead her genuine personality and grounded perspective keeps her focused on enjoying the moment and absorbing the skills she is learning.
Bryana’s father is a Colonel in the Army and because of that she and her two siblings are acquainted with moving every two years. While others would let this disconnect them from to the town they move to Bry is the complete opposite instead explaining, “It has really allowed me to make a lot of friends from all over and has prepared me for taking challenges head on.” Though the move to Mascoutah did seem daunting with her senior year looming ahead she was already familiar with the area, having attended elementary school at Holy Childhood School she was able to pick up right where she left off with old friends as well as make a plethora of new ones “The whole school and community has all been so welcoming it is so cool to have their support, I could not be more thankful,” Bryana exclaims!
Though Bry always enjoyed singing from an early age she never really recognized the powerful voice she had until she was twelve years old. Her mother convinced her to do a local singing competition in Hawaii explaining if she didn’t like it then they wouldn’t continue, but Bryana found her home right on stage. To this day she recalls what song she sang, ‘The Climb’ by Miley Cyrus, and from that moment on she knew she had discovered her passion. Before that fateful competition she was a dedicated soccer player. She played select soccer for eight years and was sure her future revolved around the competitive sport. But that sports background gave her a strong foundation for her performances now. According to Bryana “Your voice is a muscle too and has to be worked on so it get stronger just like you would practice in sports.” Many people underestimate the physical stamina that’s needed to perform for hours on end. Being a performer especially in the singing industry means that usually there is not a set schedule and they are expected to work from sunrise until long into the evening. Bryana explains she is regularly at the gym in order to stay in shape for enduring the lengthy days. Though it is a lot to ask of the young starlet she is equipped with everything she needs to succeed; not only with her talented voice, but with her background in dance and acting. She has had world class training in dance, especially in her personal favorite hip-hop. As for acting, she is a natural in front of the camera, she has experience in film and television earning roles in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and Joyful Noise. And on top of all that she plays the guitar and piano. All of these aspects give her an edge over the competition in her current endeavor on The Voice. She is able to portray emotion while singing as well as entertain and put on a show. When asked if she ever experiences stage fright or anxiety she laughs and explains, “If it’s a hundred or so that doesn’t bother me, a few thousand somewhat makes me nervous, but the Voice audition was by far the most nervous I’ve ever been.” Those nerves did not affect her incredible audition, though, because she was able to proceed on in the competition.
Bryana is on team Gwen, though three of the four judges on the show fought for her to have a place on their team. But in the end she chose Gwen Stefani’s team because of Gwen’s stage presence and entertainment value. On the show Gwen described how Bry has “More talent than she did at her age,” appropriately explaining the aptitude of her talent. And her talent will be put to the test because after the Blind Auditions comes the Battle Rounds that air Monday, October 20th and Tuesday the 21st. That is where the twelve members on each of the four teams face off to fight for a spot on in the Live rounds. Bryana details how every member of Team Gwen is very vocally different, there is a diverse range between everyone. But, singing ability put aside, battling your one’s teammates is an intense situation, “It is so difficult because you get so close to your teammates and you want them to do well just as much as you want to proceed so it’s a difficult spot to be in. But I have met so many impacting people that are lifelong friends no matter the outcome.”
While the town of Mascoutah and other fans wait impatiently for the outcome of the Battle rounds she knows she has support all around her. Bryanna understands that she is nothing without fans, hence why she spends so much of her free time talking to them and thanking them for their support. When asked the question on how she feels being such an inspiration to so many people, she responded by saying, “Its somewhat bizarre knowing that me simply favorite-ting a tweet, or telling them I love them can make such a powerful impression, but I love that I have that opportunity.” With over 5,000 followers on Instagram and 4,500 followers on Twitter her following only continues to grow, and even with her hectic schedule she goes above and beyond to show her gratitude, taking interest in what her fans have to say. As the show continues and more people are able to get to know Bry it is easy to assume she will have a lot more people recognize the great potential inside her!
The most impressive aspect of this talented star is her unpretentious attitude, with such stardom it would be easy to be swept away in the fame, but Bryana elucidates “I can’t take it for granted because it could all be over so fast. So I am just enjoying the moment and trying to take it all in.” No matter the outcome of The Voice, Bryana has amazing potential ahead of her with impressive talent and remarkable morals ensuring that success is bound to be in her future.
