GOD GAVE him the gift of music. Zachary Brooks spent his high school years performing music he created, using live instruments like the piano, drums, and sounds that captivated his audience.
Inspired by greats like Michael Jackson, Fred Hammond, and the Christian contemporary group Mercy, which his father was a part of, Zachary has built his career creating soul-stirring jazz, gospel, and neo-soul beats. He is a self-taught musician, and his passion for music was evident even before he was born, a sign that he was destined to be a musician.
“If I’m letting my mom tell it, I’ve been playing since before I was born. When I was in the womb, anytime she would go around the house playing music, that’s when I started kicking. So I already knew I would play music early on.”
When the Winchester native was 5 years old, his family could hear him vividly clanging pots and pans together, making sweet music.
The drums are Zachary’s “thing.” You might find his drum covers to songs by artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Busta Rhymes, and Tupac.
The self-taught musician recently took a liking to the piano, playing the organ in church during worship services.
Zachary said he and his sister and musician, Ashley Brooks, got their start in their youth vocal group known as Faith. They later branched out to become autonomous musicians.
Today, you can find Zachary producing eclectic sounds for Ashley or working in his home studio, where he records his own beats. You can also find his music on streaming platforms like Soundcloud, Apple Music, YouTube, and Spotify.
Zachary credits a few people, aside from his parents, for molding him into the creative musician he is today: pianist Kenny Dedrick and drummer Charles Russell, both former members of Mercy.
Zachary recalled the first time he ever entered the big stage. A festival in Nashville left him encouraged and motivated to take on a life of music production at just 17 years old.
“My cousin, Tom, who I just recently met — I found out he was a rapper, and he showed me a few things. We ended up just playing around, and then eventually, he told me about a show he was doing out there, and said it was like a festival or something, and he took a liking to my sound,” the musician said.
“So that was probably my first big stage experience — being in that limelight in Nashville.”
Zachary shared the stage alongside talented former American Idol performers like Skylar Dixon, the sister of Christian contemporary artist Colton Dixon, and Jeremy Rosado. He played alongside Sam Magill in Tennessee and venues around Huntsville, Alabama.
Creatives typically feel the most creative when lying in bed, and their brain has settled down for the day. Zachary is no different. The long-time musician said he feels the most creative when he’s alone in his studio with his drums.
For Zachary, music is not just a hobby but a way of life. He said he feels the most at peace pouring his emotions into church worship sessions.
Despite facing challenges as a neo-soul musician, the producer and musician did not let that deter him from living out his childhood dreams and blessing others in the process.
“Sometimes, you can feel like at times it might not be received as well in some areas. And that’s okay because, especially for the music that we do, this is different. So sometimes, people might not catch on to it right away, but eventually, [they] end up liking it. But, being black in Franklin County, as an artist, you don’t really see a whole lot of us doing it on a major scale,” said Zachary.
If you ask Zachary what advice he would give to young, blooming artists with more eccentric music tastes, he’ll tell you to “keep going.”
“Never stop practicing. Never stop learning. Always learn about your area, too. Just perfect your craft, even if people are not listening, or even if you [have] one person who is moved by it, keep going.”
The Franklin County native said he loves his family and community, who helped shape him into the musician and man he is today.
Self-made musician Zachary Brooks is an undeniable force in the community, a hometown hero who has stayed true to his roots even as he has risen to new heights. His music speaks to the soul and tells a story that only he can tell — a true testament to the power of God-given talent. GN
