from Mike Berndt

I don't want to sound like a know-it-all, but I knew Aaron Sheehan would be a Grammy-winning opera singer some day. Back in the spring of 1992 and we were 16 years old, the movie "Wayne's World" was released. Because of the movie, the song "Bohemian Rhapsody" had a resurgence and was always on the radio. While driving on the backroads of Janesville, Waldorf, and Pemberton and "Bohemian Rhapsody" came on the radio, I was amazed how Aaron could match Freddie Mercury note for note during that song as we drove around aimlessly. He hogged all the vocal parts and my best contribution was I could bang my head like Wayne or Garth during the guitar interlude (while driving).

Aaron could do it all in music, he was so well-rounded and talented. A fantastic singer in choir. Could play any percussion instrument in band. Often had to play the timpani drums in band because he could actually tune them. Killer dance moves in Swing Choir. Aaron pretty much taught himself how to play the trap set in Jazz Band. If there was a tough snare drum part or a really intricate bell part in Concert Band, Aaron would figure it out and play it. Aaron was the best teenage piano player that I had ever heard. And he was so humble, I knew him for 2 or 3 years before I even KNEW that he even played piano.

When I auditioned for a music scholarship at St. John's University during my senior year, Aaron drove up with me and accompanied my trumpet solo on piano. The piano part was really difficult; I remember that Mr. Tonn really struggled to play it when I tried to make a recording to send to various colleges. When I finished my audition, I felt really good of how I played. When I got feedback from the judges, they raved and were more excited about Aaron's piano playing than my trumpet playing. That's just how good of a musician that Aaron was, he was a star even back then, even before he won a Grammy. However, I tell everyone that I know that I have been accompanied by a Grammy-winning musician!

Congratulations Aaron, this is such a well-deserved honor!

from Kara Bunde-Dunn

One of my favorite memories of Aaron Sheehan goes all the way back to high school, when we worked on a trio simultaneous piano piece with our classmate Teresa (Krause) Schumacher. Naturally, we gave Aaron the most difficult part, and while Teresa and I practiced for months just to keep up, Aaron had his classical section perfected in no time. That was a really fun and challenging piano piece to perform together! And even then, I knew he was something special.

Did I know he’d go on to become a Grammy Award-winning artist? Maybe not. But I did know this: when a talent is so deeply rooted in your soul that it flows out of you with both ease and passion, and when you pair that with daily dedication to your craft, it creates the foundation for an extraordinary career. Watching Aaron’s journey has been both inspiring and deeply deserving. His induction into the Hall of Fame is an honor that feels not only fitting, but inevitable.