By Kayla Hayes
Based in Valrico, Now Hear This (established in 2004) is a business which promotes talented vocal artists in our local area and beyond. With a Media Communications degree from Medaille College in Buffalo, New York, Now Hear This (NHT) president, Bruce Wawrzyniak, has a large diversity of marketing and communications experience. Wawrzyniak is a manager, a publicist, a booking-agent and a public relations practitioner.
Wawrzyniak first had the idea for his business in 2002 after hearing the voice of a singer at Nativity Catholic Church in Brandon whom he was interested in promoting publicly. He found enough work to do for her with a modest amount of success, and loved the job; so he was determined to pursue it as a career.
Wawrzyniak’s star vocal client is Melissa Brethauer, a Riverview High School graduate, whom he discovered at Riverview Idol six years ago. Since their partnership, Brethauer has made several trips to play in Nashville, Tennessee – where John Legend and John Rich personally asked for her CD at a performance– and a trip to play on the strip in Las Vegas.
According to Wawrzyniak, the focus of NHT is 100 percent on the client. His reward is simply helping people realize their dreams and seeing them fulfilled. “There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes that people don’t think about, and I am happy to do it,” said Wawrzyniak who puts in a lot of time and personal effort to make sure his clients enjoy themselves as he partners with them for their journey to personal success. Wawrzyniak has connections within the music industry all over the United States, including New York, Oklahoma, California, Tennessee, Nevada and, of course, all over Florida.
Wawrzyniak is always interested in listening to new people. He currently promotes a variety of clients, from classic rock bands to jazz performers, and those who perform what’s on the radio now. However, Wawrzyniak only promotes clients whose voices he personally believes in, and requires that he hear vocalists live and in-person before he commits to anyone.
To contact Wawrzyniak, call 854-8000 or email Info@Now-Hear-This.Net. The NHT website is www.now-hear-this.net.
