Meet Zach Garrett

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zach Garrett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?

Wow, what a question! Because, I often remind myself (bordering dangerously on imposter syndrome) that I am the only one in the room that looks like me. I am a big guy… noticeably big. Not too tall, just big. I take up a lot of space and I am always aware of that. I don’t like crowded rooms because of it. Maybe that’s what started my love for the stage. When I’m the only one up there, I have all the space I need and the people off stage have all the space they need, ha ha!

In my younger years, I learned to rely on my skill/talent. Most of the time, I found myself to be the most talented in the room at any given time. The old ladies at church just loved hearing me play and sing… That reliance was misguided. Shifting sand at best. I learned when I went to college that there is ALWAYS someone more talented… and they’re not so far away from you.

So, I refocused. I began to rely on God. I am still working on accepting who He made me to be. It sounds silly, because I really am so thankful for the gifts and talents He blessed me with, but my size – rather, my perspective of how I think people view me because of my size – still tries to play tricks with my mind and my confidence.

The bottom line is this – God put a message in me to share with people. Not only that, but he has given me an entertainer’s heart, which I view as a ministry. I love to see people smile. I truly believe God wants His people to be happy. If I had a part in causing that happiness, that’s just a blessing for me. So, when I get on the stage, I do my best to first remember all that, as well as remember that God opened the door to that stage for a reason and I need to do what God wants me to do. God gifted and equipped me for it, so getting on the stage alone (or with friends) is easy, comfortable, and where I love to be!

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I have been in love with music my whole life. Fortunately for me, that love was developed mostly in the church – with a fair amount of secular music mixed in from time to time. I grew up in a relatively small church (approx. 100 people) with wood pews and hymnals. Those hymnals taught me how to sing. Not just sing melody, but harmonize. I didn’t realize it, but I was slowly learning how to read music from singing those old hymns every Sunday morning.

Along with hymns, I grew up listening to a lot of Southern Gospel music. Southern Gospel music was basically country music with 4 part harmony. I didn’t realize until later in my life that one of the groups I enjoyed listening to – The Stamps – were actually Elvis Presley’s backup singers! Not just the Stamps, but the Cathedrals, the Gaither Vocal Band, Gold City, the Happy Goodmans… I listened to them all! The Southern Gospel quartets had something that other musical groups didn’t have… a piano player! And not just any piano player… I heard the best! I heard the piano stylings of Hovie Lister, Roger Bennett, Jeff Stice, and (maybe the greatest to ever touch the ivories) Anthony Burger. Southern Gospel made me want to play piano!

I took lessons for about 2 years starting in 2nd grade, but my teacher became ill and passed away. She was a fabulous teacher that gave me an amazing foundation in music. Nevertheless, when she passed, I was just a kid that didn’t want to practice. Fast forward about 6 months to my 4th grade year. Jeff Stice came to play a piano concert at my church. I sat like a statue in the front pew staring at his hands. I’m not sure what possessed me that night, but I told my parents “I can do that.” So, I locked myself in the piano room in my house and began to dig back into what would be one of my life’s passions…

By the time I was 13, I began singing and playing piano for the first band I was ever in, the Garrett Family. Yes, my mom, dad, uncle, and grandmother had a Southern Gospel quartet and they needed a piano player. That was where I began to spread my wings. My parents supported and believed in me so much that they bought me a very nice keyboard that I could plug into the computer and record with. That’s when I recorded my first album… it was terrible…

But, God was faithful and I improved! In high school, I excelled at percussion and continued to sing. No formal training to speak of, but God was preparing me for so much more. Towards the end of high school, I began to teach music, something I still enjoy doing to this day. I began just teaching percussion. Today, I teach percussion, piano, bass, guitar, and voice.

I graduated from college with a Bachelor’s of Music in commercial music performance (percussion). My first job out of college was the Director of Traditional Music at a local United Methodist Church. I guess God knew what He was preparing me for because the percussion kid was now the song leader and choir director at a pretty big church!

As the years went on, I took every performance gig I could think of. I played in country bands, jazz trios, rock bands, and even a kid’s music group! I played everything from keys to bass, drums, lead/rhythm guitar, and sang a lot of backup harmonies. Still the urge grew and grew in me to strike out on my own.

Just after the 2020 pandemic, I began going down to Nashville, TN to meet people and begin to write songs. I love writing! I had been doing it off and on for years, but getting involved down in Nashville made me get serious about perfecting my craft. I’m still perfecting it, but God has been so faithful…

Writing in Nashville gave me the final push I needed to branch out on my own as an artist. I have promoted so many other’s messages and voices. But, God has given me a message and a voice to share it. That message is that it’s ok if you’ve been hurt. It’s ok if you’re not perfect. God wants a relationship with you, not religious acts. Now, I have many originals in my catalog and I have released 4 so far.

This time has not been without its challenges. I’ve gone through several significant family traumas in the last couple of years. Again, God has been so faithful. He has opened doors and shut doors for me. He has allowed me to heal through writing about what has been happening. In fact, my next release is called “Choices” (coming soon) and it speaks to people you hold in high regard making choices that drastically affect you. It’s the hardest thing I’ve done yet, but I am looking forward to this next chapter as a solo artist!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

The three skills/traits/qualities/things I have needed the most in my journey would have to be grit, curiosity, and adaptability.

There are some days that you just don’t feel like you’ve made any progress whatsoever. Maybe you got one too many “No” responses. Maybe your Spotify numbers dropped. Maybe you just feel like nobody cares. Grit keeps you going. There are so many words that could also be used – drive, motivation, desire – but “grit” gives the very accurate visual of the grind. This is not an easy way to make a living. It’s a grind, and you gotta have grit to make it happen!

Curiosity isn’t just a trait for unlucky cats! It’s not enough to just be curious. You have to want answers to your questions. You should always be willing to learn. Be teachable! Take in all you can! Waste as many Googles as you want! The knowledge will come in handy more often than you think…

One of the greatest abilities is adaptability. Be able to change when the situation calls for it. This includes on the stage AND in business. What we do is art, and it is a ministry, but it is also a business. We must be able to adapt, change, and pivot when necessary.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I’m always looking to collaborate with people. Music is most fun when shared with friends! I’m always open to co-writing, song features, production/co-production, and anything else you can think of regarding music creation or performance! I do Christian music, but I’m not limiting myself to only Christian collaborators. I was really inspired by the recent release from Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll. I love that they are tearing those walls of division down! Please reach out to me! You can find me online on Facebook or Instagram @TheZachGarrett or feel free to email me at zachgarrettmusic@gmail.com!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.TheZachGarrett.com
• Instagram: @TheZachGarrett
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheZachGarrett
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheZachGarrett