Most people would agree that Ryan Dymek is now the best most accomplished musician Pentucket has to offer.

Dymek, with hard work, was able to get into NADME’s (National Association for Music Education) All National Concert Band.

“It’s a very competitive process. It’s a very rigorous, competitive process” says Dymek.

To even be considered for All Nationals students need to have participated in Senior Districts. “You [then] have to make All-States” says Dymek, “and then you get the chance to perform on a national scale.”

Ryan said “I had to submit an audition tape of me performing a piece of Johann Emst Galliard’s ‘3^rd Sonata’. The audition needed to be submitted by March 31, 2013. “They told us it would be a couple weeks [until we would know if we got in] and it was mid-July” said Dymek. “But it was worth the wait, I would say, definitely.”

According to Dymek, all students who audition are mainly judged by their musicality, technical ability and their tone quality. However, they may also be judged on musical talent, playing ability, and intonation.

Besides the All-National Concert Band, there is also jazz band, orchestra and chorus.

There are 148 students in the concert band and the concert is on October 30^th in Nashville, Tennessee. The concert band will be conducted by Peter Boonshaft from Hofstra University in New York.

Ryan said, “I’m extremely excited. I’m really looking forward for the opportunity to play in such a high caliber group. I’m very honored to be in such a group and thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given through my education at Pentucket and through private lessons.”

Dymek also thought it was interesting that some of the students who have gotten accepted know each other from previous musical festivals like Senior Districts or All-States. Some students contact each other through social networks. Dymek added, “It’s really great to be able to play with all these other kids that are the best in the nation.”

Ryan’s mother, Ms. Beth Dymek, was extremely happy for her son. She said, “Obviously I’m very proud of him. I think that he has worked very hard and I think his hard work has finally paid off his senior year with this.”

Ryan has been playing the clarinet for eight years since he was in fourth grade. Ms. Dymek added that when Ryan was one, he always had a little kazoo in his mouth and was very attached to it.”

She also said that when Ryan was three he had a toy flute that he would always play. “So it seems he was destined to play a wind instrument” Dymek said.

Ryan’s mother told how Ryan has been playing the bass clarinet since seventh grade. She recalled how Mr. Anthony Beatrice, Pentucket Band Director, suggested the bass clarinet to Ryan. Ms. Dymek said “He always loved the clarinet, but once he got on the bass clarinet, he just found his niche.”

When asked about her first reaction when she found out Ryan made All-Nationals, Ms. Dymek expressed her excitement, saying “I just- I was so thrilled for him. I was just totally thrilled that he had made it to Nationals because it was so important to him and he had worked so hard.”

After a pause, she added “My second thought was oh no. he’s going to have to take three days off from school.”

The last thing Ms. Dymek said was “I think it’s so cool how everyone at Pentucket has just been so supportive of him- all the other kids and the teachers and I think it’s really nice to see that.”

Ryan Dymek is on an excellent musician and has an opportunity of a lifetime, which he certainly deserves.