I met Zack in the summer of 2017 when we were both on the Drum Corps International tour. Here’s the thing though, I met him on the last leg of the tour.
When I met him, he did a cool Australian impression. We bonded over the obsession we both share of toast. And that was pretty much it.
I knew he was from Texas, and from following him on Instagram, I discovered he did a bunch of hiking, (and I love hiking). I later found out that he was living in Portland.
When the opportunity came to make that journey, I sent him a message (probably out of the blue), explaining why I was going to Portland. Then because he was the only soul I knew who lived there, I got the guts to ask if I could crash on his couch.
This dude is so cool, he checked with his roommates and they all gave the “okay.”
Now fast forward to actually arriving at PDX. Zack picked me up, gave me a hug, asked how the flight went, and off we went touring the city by car. As we drove, Zack told me everything he knew about Portland, (cultures, food, you name it). When he talks, he doesn’t have distinct accent.
This is what I want you to picture when reading my interview with Zack. Someone who truly gets excited about telling a story. Imagine the volume of his voice going up and down, talking fast and then a little more slowly to make a story pop. It’s the way he talks and using his hands to tell a story, that really drive you to make you want to listen (in this case read), more.
We started our coffee talk with the story on exactly how he became involved with a Drum Corps based out of Boston, Massachusetts. Recruiting members from all over including Florida and Texas, especially in the past few years.
“I remember looking, trying to figure out which group I wanted to audition for not really knowing a whole lot about Drum Corps,” he starts with a gaze at his coffee.
In high school, he watched the DCI experience in theatres (as most of us marching band fans do). He had friends that wanted to march and eventually did, however this future member wasn’t a die-hard fan of the sport.
“A lot of people I marched with will be like, ‘what’s your favourite show?’ ‘OH this corps from ’87!’… It’s like… I don’t know, I don’t care. I’m just here… to do this,” Zack paused for a moment and gave a reminiscing smile.
“I remember seeing their shows and thought, that’s cool. The first year I auditioned I made it to round two of auditions in Florida, and I… got cut,” he chuckled.
Young, unprepared and unaware of how intense the drill portion of the audition was, he became overwhelmed. Attending rehearsals and camps that lead up to spring training, Zack was surrounded by trained musicians. Musicians who studied and understood why chord structures were what they were.
Zack’s eyes widened and leaned in, “I lost my mind.”
That following year Zack re-auditioned. Now knowing what to expect and how intense the experience of drum corps can be, he made it.
“We weren’t the best group.”
Like many other musicians, Zack compares himself to the lead character in the well-known-to-marchers-all-over-world film, Drumline. It’s one thing to read music, but it’s another being able to understand it.
“Technical parts of music would freak me out, and I just didn’t know how to approach it,” he stated quickly in a way that almost recalled that experience all over again. “But then when I would play with someone else, or play the part with them I would be like ‘OH, that’s how you do it’ and then I was fine.”
Following this member experience, fast forward a few years. Zack ages out. I’m on tour with a different drum corps (part of the crew). This is the story of how I met Zack.
At that time Zack just finished nannying for a family in Oregon, nothing was locked down. He flew home to Texas for a few weeks to hang out with family and friends, which lined up for him to work with a convention called Rooster Teeth Productions.
The second to last day of being home before flying back to Oregon, Zack was able to visit his alma mater drum corps at a show in Belton, Texas.
Catching up with old marching buddies, one of the now-former drum majors suggested he talk to the volunteer manager to come on tour.
The volunteer list was full. However, he ran into Alain.
A mutual friend of ours (Alain) was one of the managers for the merch crew.
“We were rookies together, back in 2011. He stops for a second and says, ‘come find me in like, an hour.’ I’m freaking out, really excited,” his voice gets a little higher and faster.
About an hour later, Alain says in a way that’s almost comparable to making a business deal “I have a spot for you, all the way through Indy.”
This is two and a half to three weeks. However Zack is supposed to fly back home the next day.
Unable to cancel, get a refund, or even exchange a plane ticket, and with two hundred dollars in his pocket, he made a decision.
“I’m going to buy a ticket from Indy back to Portland. And that’s what I did.” He sighed. “I jumped on tour, on the back of a converted ambulance” Zack stated recalling that ease of mind at that time.
Keep in mind, this one of the spontaneous decisions Zack has made, apart from up and moving to Portland. Giddy and jittery, this was a decision that he still can’t believe happened. Being around people who loved the organization as much as he did.
“Driving up to Oregon, I feel like part of me knew it wasn’t just going to be as short of a visit that I thought it was,” he said with focused face, again gazing down at his coffee.
Prepared for all-weather eventualities, he just never went back to Texas. And in Portland he stayed. He considers that a good choice, not missing the heat but instead thunderstorms and the people of Texas.
It’s the countless amount of trails, Mt. Hood, the coast, and other outdoor activities in Oregon that kept him there.
“I was spending every spare second I had, outside. Being close to my sister helped. Just the weather. The rain is not as bad as I thought it would be,” he said at ease, knowing he was home.
With the outdoors being a primary influence for him staying in Oregon, we talked about his childhood of being involved with the boy scouts.
Starting out as a tiger cub in pre-kindergarten, he continued through the program throughout his childhood leading up to becoming an eagle scout.
“Yeah I did scouts, all my life,” he gave a short pause and nodded his head. “I am very, very excited and pleased that the BSA has opened up scouting for all kids, regardless.”
The BSA is what started Zack’s love for the outdoors. Giving him experiences with the large forests and rolling hills of Texas. Allowing him to go canoeing in the Boundary Waters (Canada), hiking in Philmont (NM), sailing a seventy-foot sailboat in the Caribbean (Florida Keys).
“I’ve done a lot of things. You take what you know and just adapt on what you’re facing. Sometimes it’s easy sometimes it’s not.”
Zack takes his coffee with a dribble of cream, juuuuuuust enough to make a small colour change.
Living Noteworthy 