Many high school seniors are concerned about graduation, trying to figure out what they will do next year.
For David Zaks, a High Tech High School senior who lives in Hoboken, he’s right where he wants to be.
David was born at Hoboken University Medical Center back when it was St. Mary’s Hospital. At the age of 7, he fell in love with jazz and classical music, and quickly took up the piano, which became an all-consuming passion.
He kept it up while attending the Elysian Charter School.
“Well, there is school, then lunch, then music, then dinner, then more music and then just a little homework, but really it’s all music,” David said recently, describing a normal day. “I am really excited for college, because then it can really be all music.”
“I have to find my original voice. So when people hear a song, they know it is mine.” – David Zaks
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But if you grabbed dinner at Tutta Pasta in Hoboken last fall, you may have caught David and his trio, which includes Daryl Johns, a 13-year-old bass player from Englewood, and Robin Baytas, a high school senior from Montclair, on the drums.
David loved the food there and joked, “I got a lot better gigging there, but I don’t know if it was because of the gnocchis or the practice we were getting.”
The trio was formed at a daily Saturday program in New Jersey called Jazz for Teens. It was there they started jamming together.
Now, they have just finished putting together their first CD and are working on its release.
But David does not want to pursue the music business for awards and trophies, or best-selling albums.
“I’m not doing it to be better than other musicians,” he said. “I am doing it to express myself. Because I love the music. [The awards and trophies] are nice perks, but are not the aspiration or goal.”
One can understand this by watching him. In his parents’ house on 10th Street, David has music books of famed pianist Bill Evans scattered around his piano, on the floor, and on the table.
And even the family cat, Miles, is jazz-inspired, named after one of Evans’ best known collaborators.
“Yeah, Miles,” David says. “He was named after Miles Davis, the trumpeter.”
But when he needs to relax and take a breather from music, he does have some outlets.
“If I need to do something other than music to mellow me down, it’s tennis,” he said. “I am a much better watcher then player though. And I really like Roger Federer. He is so damn good at what he does. That’s how I want my music to be.”
Applying to conservatory
David likens his passion for the piano to that of a professional athlete. “For them, there is an offseason, but there is never a vacation,” he said. “Like with my music, even if I am not actually playing the piano, I am thinking about it, or listening to my iPod. It is always on my mind.”
As young as David is, he also knows that Hoboken and the New York/New Jersey area are the place to be for his jazz music.
“I am applying to Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory, New School, and William Paterson,” he said. “But no matter what, I want to be in this area. This area, for a jazz musician, is great. The cream of the crop is right here.”
When asked if he will move back to Hoboken after perfecting his craft, David smiled. “I would love to,” he said. “It may be a little expensive for me, but if my parents are willing to put me up again, then definitely.”
During college, there is one thing that he says is imperative to his music. “I have to find my original voice. So when people hear a song, they know it is mine.”
David and his trio were slated to play April 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Made With Love Bakery in Jersey City. He is also hoping to play at the Hoboken Arts and Music Festival. Maybe one day you can catch this Hoboken native coming back to his roots, to jam out with a little jazz.