ABOUT ZACH

Zach grew up in Narberth, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. He graduated Berklee College of Music in 2022, with a double major in film scoring and music therapy, with a minor in musical theater writing. Zach now lives in Woodbridge, New Jersey, a short train ride from Manhattan. Zach wears many hats, as besides having scored several short films, he works as a music therapist for Holisticare Hospice in Toms River, New Jersey, where he visits terminally ill patients and their families, bringing relaxation and joy during a difficult time.

 

Zach has also written two original full-length musicals, St. Louis and The Candle. St. Louis is the dramatized account of the MS St. Louis incident, in which the ship carrying over 900 German Jews in 1939 was denied entry to Cuba and the United States. The story centers on Josef, a young aspiring comedian traveling with his family, who must fight for his survival along with the friends he makes on board.​​ The Candle​​​, which is currently in production development, is a semi-autobiographical depiction of a college student, Josh, struggling to enter adulthood while grappling with the loss of his grandfather in an accident a year prior. Josh lights a yahrzeit candle for his grandfather, and finds that through some unknown magical force, his grandfather has been brought back for 24 hours, as long as the candle burns. In this amount of time, Josh must find closure in a relationship tragically cut short, while figuring out how to move forward with his life. The Candle seeks to answer the question, "If you had your loved one back for a day, how would you spend that time?"