The York School 2024/25 Year in Review - Alumni Spotlight: Shawn Myers Vickar '13

In February, Shawn Myers Vickar ‘13 achieved one of his biggest dreams. A song he composed – called “Storm chaser” in English and “Ég flýg í storminn” in Icelandic – competed for the opportunity to represent Iceland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Shawn was in a television studio in Reykjavík when BIRGO, an Icelandic singer, wowed listeners with her powerful performance of his song. There were 1200 people in the studio audience and approximately 116,090 people (46% of the country’s population) watching the broadcast.

“Watching BIRGO sing a song I wrote was very meaningful. That may have been the best day of my life,” says Shawn.
Shawn’s passion for musical storytelling dates back to his days at The York School. He took Music in Grade 7 and played the oboe, then pursued Drama and was inspired to take part in some of the school’s musical productions. He has fond memories of playing Seth, an angel who discovers the beauty and pain of being human, in York’s production of City of Angels.

Storm chaser didn’t advance to the final round of the competition, but Shawn is happy that the song’s message resonated with Icelanders. The lyrics were inspired by his personal experience with anxiety, the storm being a metaphor for anxiety. After the performance, many people sent messages to his social media accounts saying that listening to Storm chaser was helping them cope with their own anxiety. “That has been really special,” says Shawn.

This was the fourth time a European country has selected one of Shawn’s songs to compete for the opportunity to represent their nation at Eurovision. In 2024, he placed fourth in Moldova’s contest. When he’s developing a song, Shawn composes the piano music and writes the lyrics, uses a digital audio workstation to add other instruments, and then collaborates with a producer who helps create a polished version of the song.
Musical theatre was just one of the York School experiences that helped Shawn grow academically and personally. During a Challenge Week trip to Newfoundland and Labrador in Grade 9, he learned about the province’s rich culture and also overcame his anxiety about travelling without his family. “I conquered my big fear of travelling on my own, and it was a great experience,” says Shawn.

Shawn has stayed in touch with his Grade 7 English teacher, Heather Swanson (who was Miss Thomson at the time.) “She took a really active interest in getting me to the place where she thought I could be. I hadn’t been strong in English, but she gave me a great foundation and it became one of my best subjects.” 
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