On Monday, “American Idol” contestant Brennan “Beane” Hepler didn’t receive enough fan votes to make the top 12, instead he sang for the chance at a judges save.
“I think there’s a huge amount of anxiety that you build up, all of us sitting on stage, waiting for our name to be called,” Beane said. “And to be honest, once I was told that I wasn’t in the top 10, that’s when my anxiety left, which I’m grateful for. I was able to just let go and sing the song from my heart.”
That strategy worked. Beane was the judges’ second save of the night, continuing to next week with the rest of the top 12.
Beane is originally from Central Pennsylvania and went to Berklee College of Music in 2015. The 23-year-old has lived in Boston ever since.
“He is a self-described R&B/Singer-Songwriter, preferring to tackle all aspects of his artistry head-on, including design, promotion, and management,” his website states.
Singing for the judges’ save hasn’t been the only hurdle Beane has overcome this season.
He is deaf in his right ear and has type 1 diabetes.
“I have to manage that very involved thing throughout this whole process, which has been interesting, to say the least,” he told MassLive.
Beane said being deaf in one ear did impact the first few “American Idol” performances but as the show has progressed he’s been able to include accommodations to help him.
“It definitely was a hurdle for the first few times that we sang on stage,” he said. “But now with this performance [Monday] night, we started to have in ear monitors, which definitely make it much easier for me to overcome that.”
AMERICAN IDOL - "412 (Top 16)" - "American Idol" continues its search for the next superstar with an all-new episode as the Top 16 are revealed and perform in hopes of securing America's vote to the next round on SUNDAY, APRIL 11 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC. (ABC/Eric McCandless) BEANEABC
The whole show has also had to follow unusual protocols because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I call this the season of Plexiglas,” he said. “There’s Plexiglas everywhere.”
He said those involved in the show are getting tested often and he feels very safe. But they can’t keep water bottles at their side or drink water wherever, like a singer might normally, due to having to remove your mask to do so.
“One of the comments that I get a lot on my videos, is that my voice sounds dry. And I’m like, ‘Yeah,’” Beane said laughing.
But whether it’s managing his diabetes or following COVID protocols, he’s got a mantra to overcome any hurdles — “just do it.”
“I was given advice one time by a dear friend, and she told me to just do it,” he said. “It seemed like the dumbest advice at the time but when you kind of employ that as your mantra to just do it, then things become a little easier. So I just do it. I do what I got to do to make it happen.”
Joining Beane in the top 12 is another Berklee College of Music student, Grace Kinstler.
“I am a huge Grace fan. She is a powerhouse and she’s a wonderful human,” he said, adding that he was impressed with all the top 24, which also included multiple other Berklee College of Music students.
“We spent about a month altogether before anybody got cut from the show. I got to hear these people not singing just the one song they do on stage, but how they sing with a guitar in a hotel room, or outside somewhere,” he said of the top 24 contestants. “And I’m just such fans of all of them.”
Through his own performances so far, however, Beane has continued to impress the judges.
“You shine like a bright light,” guest judge Paula Abdul said after Beane’s performance of “Grow As We Go” by Ben Platt. “We are mesmerized by you.”
The singer was part of a duet with Josh Groban, where he switched the word “she” with “he,” and has received messages that he’s choosing songs that have “expanded people’s Spotify playlists.”
The biggest thing, he said, he’s stayed true to himself.
“I think that authenticity has gotten me farther on this path than the vocal ability, or what I wear, or what I say,” he told MassLive. “I think that being genuine and authentic in anything you do is going to get you where you want to go.”
He knows win or lose, he’ll continue his music career with plans to already release a few new songs and hopefully play at outdoor venues this summer.
“There’s always going to be people that aren’t into what you do,” he said. “That doesn’t take away from what you do.”
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