I had the pleasure of attending the Peaks Jazz Festival again this year and watched one of my students light up the stage. From the day Zach Marquez walked into my studio, I was impressed with his focus and how studious he is as a student. I was excited when we had the opportunity to hook him up with Caleb Chapman in Lo-Fi Riot, a ska-type band. Due to the nature of ska music, I was a little concerned about his young voice being able to manage the heavier style but he has done extremely well and later joined Soul Research, a soul/funk group in the Caleb Chapman music program. One of the best places to come across Zach is behind his guitar singing his own rendition of Hallelujah or one of his own heartfelt compositions. His greatest asset as a performer is his magnetic and energetic stage presence!