Zachary Sebek
Tenor
As an artist I have classified myself as a classical singer with the voice type of tenor. For a long time I hated to sing and also did not enjoy music. However, while I was growing up I was fortunate to be around a musical family with both my parents being opera singers. I didn’t pay much attention to the music around me, because I thought it was just for my parents. While I was growing up, music was so easily accessible, however I never chose to participate. When I decided to join the music community, it was life changing because I began to see the world differently. As an artist I want music to be accessible to everyone because if I wasn’t exposed to it I would never have chosen this career path.
While growing up in a musical household I was used to the loud singing and the students coming into my house to take a voice lesson. I never understood why all these kids came in smiling, it was always strange to me. I was lucky that my parents were close to me because they showed me a world where music can impact my life but when I performed it, I impacted other people’s lives. I laughed at my parents when they asked me if I would like to major in music, but now look where I am. In my house I always met new musicians and when my father ran an African Record Company, I had African bands playing their drums and singing in my living room. I also was surround by family friends who were all musicians and it was great to be a part of this family, which was created by music. My brother also became a tenor and it has been cool to watch him grow as an artist. Music was always so easily accessible and everyone in my family contributed to that.
As a child I refused to join choir and band because music was for my parents not for me. I was focused on sports and other activities as an alternative but always felt as if something were missing. In middle school my parents convinced me to join the choir and band and I loved every second. In sports the environment was cutthroat and there was so much pressure. However, because I decided to leave sports I needed something to do so I decided to join the marching band, after school choirs, the school musicals, and the jazz bands. In high school I flourished because the people in my community loved music and I got along so well with everyone. People were obsessed with different types of music and it was always so cool to talk with everyone about their musical tastes. Music was such a big part of life at my school and it affected the entire town.
Music impacted my life but it was only because of my parents. My parents and I have the strongest relationship and music is always a topic of interest we can talk about. I am always asked whether it is weird for me to be an opera singer when your parents are and I respond saying “no” because they support me every step of the way. My parents were the first ones to teach me music and always look out for my best interests when it came to music. They introduced me to a whole new environment and it brought me even closer to them. I always collaborate with my parents and I even sing duets with my father. With their support I had the opportunity to grow in a positive environment which allowed me to be creative in my own way. Though, without my relationship with them, I would have never found music or a world of music with such a positive impact.
As I attend Mannes I look back and realize that without all the warmth of my music community, I would never be where I am. I work every day as an artist and cannot get enough of it because I am learning invaluable skills as well as meeting extraordinary people. That’s why my goal as an artist is to make music accessible to everyone because it can positively impact lives, like it did for me.