Million has many musical pursuits, including acting, playing bass and singing. “Maereg has distinguished herself in so many ways as an individual player, but one of the things I appreciate the most [about her] is [that] she’s still very much a team player,” WHS orchestra director Susan Memoli said.

“How could you possibly do so many things and do them so well?” Wayland High School orchestra director Susan Memoli said. From playing bass to performing in musicals to teaching theater to singing in a cappella, junior Maereg Million is a multifaceted musician.

Million started playing bass at 5 years old. She credits her grandmother with helping spark her interest in music. Her grandmother started her on piano, and Million later focused on bass through an intensive community program at Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO). According to Million, the program accepts 100 applications from children ages 4 to 8 and selects 16 students. During a showcase of the different instruments offered at the program, the bass stood out to Million.

“I have this very vivid memory of when [a bass player] was tuning and playing the e string, the lowest string, and the whole room shook,” Million said. “That’s what hooked me [on] bass.”

Million has been playing in BYSO’s top orchestra for four years. This is her second year as principal bassist, meaning she leads her section. On Sundays, Million rehearses with the orchestra for eight hours. She enjoys the sense of community at BYSO, and she has met many of her closest friends through the program.

“It’s really like my second home there,” Million said. “For orchestra concerts, I usually don’t get that nervous because I’m so excited, it’s like a team sport.”

Along with BYSO, Million has also made contributions to the WHS orchestra community, sserving as vice president of Tri-M, the school’s music honor society, and as a member of the honors Sinfonia Orchestra.

“She attacks every project with a level of maturity that’s really exceptional for a high school student,” Memoli said. “She kind of transcends the average player in that, when you are able to watch her playing, she becomes one with the bass, and the music just seems to sing out of it.”

Million also participates in Senior Districts, a competitive music festival for high schoolers. Wayland participates in the Eastern District, one of the most selective districts, with about two dozen communities taking part. Million is one of two WHS bass players selected. The audition requires a lot of preparation, including sight-reading, scales and solo repertoire. She has earned an All-State recommendation in the Eastern District two years in a row and was first chair bass last year.

In addition to playing bass, Million is also a singer. She is a director of the Muses, one of WHS’ three student-run a cappella groups. She works alongside senior Mia MacLean and junior Maggie Agyeman to arrange songs, plan and host rehearsals and keep the group focused.

“This is my first year as a director,” Million said. “Big shoes [to fill and], a lot of pressure, but I love my co-directors.”

Million has been in the Muses since her freshman year and is excited to be in a leadership role this year. She enjoys having the chance to make changes in the group.

“I’ve loved being with Maereg for the last three years,” MacLean said. “She’s very reliable, you can trust her and she’s just so musically talented.”

Million is a member of the WHS Theatre Ensemble. In the group, she is an actor and the music director for Junior Broadway, an after-school theater program for Wayland fifth graders. According to drama teacher and ensemble director Aidan O’Hara, Million manages more than 50 fifth graders during Junior Broadway and helps them balance staying on track with having fun.

“She’s very talented and also tends to bring out the best in her scene partners and any small groups she’s in,” O’Hara said.

Million loves the energy at WHSTE rehearsals. She also loves the culture and pre-show traditions. According to O’Hara, some of those traditions, such as tongue twisters, date back 30 to 40 years.

“The rehearsals are totally fun,” Million said. “[There’s] always great energy.”

In this year’s WHSTE production of ‘Head Over Heels’, Million played Gynecia, the queen of Arcadia, where the musical takes place. This was Million’s favorite role she has played with WHSTE so far.

“This year it was a really cool moment to have my own solo role,” Million said. “I worked really hard to make sure that the audience saw [Gynecia’s] character grow.”

“She always brings so much dedication to everything she’s in, from a cappella to the fall musical,” Agyeman said. “She’s just a joy to be around, and she makes everyone’s lives easier and more fun.”

Although Million’s talent is evident across her areas of art, her drive is what got her to where she is.

“[Maereg has] this level of commitment, this level of achievement and then this mindset of ‘I still want to share this with others, and be part of these bigger things,’” Memoli said. “She’s kind of got the magic recipe for success in all of these areas.”

Million’s advice for musicians and aspiring musicians is to practice, but also to make sure the love is still in your playing.

“At the end of the day, you’re doing this to communicate a message that was written 100-300 years ago by some random guy, and you want to be the vessel for the art form,” Million said. “So make sure that you’re doing it because you love it, not for the wrong reasons.”