Student Spotlight: Ryan Kozak, Euphonium
Anyone who has had the pleasure of talking to Ryan Kozak knows that they will be greeted with a smile and eager enthusiasm. It was this same upbeat energy that pushed Kozak to join Gimble A Cappella in fall 2021 after listening to them perform at a rush event.
"I heard them perform and my jaw dropped," Kozak said. "I grew up doing theater, so I've always had music in my life. I love singing and performing. I love the family that forms and how we really appreciate each other. I wanted to be surrounded by these talented people and I'm so lucky that I was able to join."
Gimble A Cappella is a student-run, co-ed a cappella founded in 1997. Performances can be found on their Youtube channel and instagram page @gimbleacappella.
"It's so collaborative, so encouraging and there's so little judgment," Kozak said. "There is no animosity—only love. Everyone wants to see one another improve. You are constantly listening to each other, you have to feel the beat together, vibe together."
At the end of the second semester, Kozak went on tour with Gimble, where they recorded songs with Liquid 5th productions. Their music will be released on Apple music and Spotify.
"There's all the equipment around you and you are hearing the audio engineer doing everything in real time and they play it back and you think 'I can't believe we sound like this,'" Kozak said. "It's so fulfilling and so surreal. I would say my favorite tune to sing is 'I found' by Amber Run. It has super emotional and crunchy harmonies and the chord progressions are absolutely gorgeous."
According to Kozak, the ensemble has been able to accommodate a busy academic schedule and marching band.
"Don't be afraid to put yourself out there because no matter what there will be a family and a group of people for you," Kozak said. "This school is so perfect for that. This school is so big, but there are so many diverse people with different backgrounds. Don't let the size of the school intimidate you, you will find your community, you will find what you love. You will have a place at this school."
Kozak takes this same energy to the field.
"The first time I went into the big house and experienced absolute shock when I saw the panorama view of the stadium was unreal," Kozak said. "When Dr. Pasquale said the noise is palpable, it's true; it's nuts and you can feel it. I also loved the Ohio State game. It was such a good day. I loved our show, "El Toro," the snow was magical. The pure joy of beating Ohio State and watching all the senior's faces light up made the day so perfect."
Kozak is a part of the euphonium section, one of the smallest instrumentalist sections in the MMB.
"[Our section size] allows us to have more personal connections," Kozak said. "Everyone has a very distinct personality and we are all these puzzle pieces that mesh and match together. We get along so well. It's the perfect balance of enthusiasm and chill and friendliness and low stress. We do murder mystery nights. We get all 20 of us in the house, we all thrift our outfits and absolutely commit. It's so much fun."
Kozak grew up loving music and STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics). In his junior year at Michigan, he is studying Biomedical Engineering with a minor in music.
"Personally, I love the emotional connection I have with music," Kozak said. "It's always been an integral part of my personality. My soul is intertwined with music and I feel like it speaks to me. The ability to tell a story and draw emotion through sound is so powerful. I'm also a sucker for a good harmony. I love the way it makes my brain feel when I hear it. I love the artistry and the creativity, and I love being able to balance a STEM career with music. One of my favorite things to do with my acapella group is find the natural frequency of the room. You can feel the difference in the vibration."
Inspired by his mother's involvement in healthcare and his love of science, Kozak works in Research Product Development (RPD) for a healthcare tech company, Impulse Dynamics.
"[Impulse Dynamics] has created an IPG (implantable pulse generator)," Kozak said. "It sends electrical signals to the heart to create therapies that treat heart failure patients. It can bring them from stage four heart disease, where they cannot leave their beds, to stage two, which enables them to live more freely. I get to work hands-on with something that is literally saving lives."
Working in a startup company for healthcare tech means that Kozak can incorporate his passion for collaboration and patient care.
"RPD is a lot of individual work," Kozak said. "I am collecting data about the device and how to optimize therapies used on patients. We are finding different things this device can measure. In a healthcare medical device startup, we focus a lot on FDA approval, so I've been working on getting approval documentation. I get to see the collaboration between administrations, and I get to highlight the work of a company that can do really wonderful things for healthcare."
Hailing from New Jersey, Kozak is ready to begin his third year with the MMB.
