Zachary Manzi, 16

Why Nominated:

“Zach is a musician, not the typical type of music that most 16-year-old boys choose to listen to at all,” wrote his mom, Tracy Manzi.

“He loves classical music and wants to study clarinet performance in college. Zach took second place last year in the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony’s Solo Artist competition. He is the Principal Clarinet in their top organization. He is also the Principal Clarinet in his high school’s (Cheyenne Mountain High School) symphonic band.

“Zach spent six weeks this summer at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Mich. There he found that his passion for music is shared by many other talented young people. … He sent a letter to his dad and mom toward the end of his time at Interlochen stating that he realized just how much his parents support his dreams and help him realize his goals. For his parents, that meant a successful experience all around!

“Zach has been a member of his church choir since the summer after his fifth-grade year. He is beginning his third year assisting in the religious-education program for elementary school kids at his church as well.

“As his parents, we do not have to remind him of his responsibilities to do well in school; he expects more of himself than we do. He currently has a 4.15 GPA at CMHS. … As a sophomore, Zach lettered in community service.

“One day, about nine months back, Zach announced that he was ‘bored.’ He then said that he was going to write a book.

“… To sum it up, he has a love of life, people, and, especially music, that you don’t often see in kids his age. He has more focus than most adults, and I am very happy to be his mom.”

Q&A

How many musical instruments do you play?

“In depth I play two; I play clarinet and piano. I’ve also, in the past, taken lessons on French horn, and I’ve also — not taken lessons — but I kind of played around with cello and flute.
“I tried a bunch of different ones, but clarinet and piano are definitely my two main instruments.

Do you still take lessons?

“I take lessons for clarinet and piano.”

How long have you been in the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony?

“This is my second year.”

How did you hear about the Interlochen Center for the Arts?

“My clarinet teacher actually told me about it, and he really wanted me to go.”

What did you learn there?

“I played in a band there, not an orchestra. … I think the best part of it was that I was there with people who really love music and they really like playing, so they were really motivated. I think what I learned most was how to practice, and keep up with everyone else, because they were all very talented. It was good to be around that motivation. I really learned how to achieve my goals.

“Also I had private lessons there. With the professor of clarinet at University of Colorado at Boulder. He was there. We also played in chamber music groups, which are smaller ensembles, so that’s a completely different experience than a large ensemble.”

Which do you prefer: small or large ensemble?

“I actually really like playing in a larger ensemble, preferably in an orchestra just because of the literature there is (more of a song library to choose songs from). I mean small ensembles are good, but I don’t think there’s as much of variety.

Where did you stay for the six weeks?

“We lived in cabins. In this densely packed forest area.

“It was definitely not luxurious. It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t terrible, but as close to living in the wilderness, without camping. We had showers and bathrooms and everything, but it was small and old.”

Did you have any creepy experiences with bugs or other forces of nature?

“I was lying in bed one time about to go to sleep, and I felt something crawling on my back, and I turned around and there was a spider on my back. I really don’t like spiders, so that was pretty frightening, I guess.

“But I got used to that after a while. I have a much higher tolerance for bugs than I did when I went.

Did you ever get sick of roughing it?

“The hardest part is being around people all the time because in the cabin there were 13 other people, and it’s not huge. I mean, you’re around people all the time there. I like being around people, but sometimes it’s nice to have it quiet. But that never happens. … Now I look back and I miss everybody. I made good friends. People I’ll probably keep talking to for my life.”

Tell me about the religious-education program at your church that you’re involved with.

“There’s two parts. There’s the elementary school, it’s called Parish School of Religion. It’s basically Sunday school, and my mom used to be the director, so that’s how I got involved. I basically help with whatever teachers needs. … Then the other part of it is for my youth group. Last year was my first year on the leadership team, so what we do is plan events, like fundraisers and trips and service projects. … So I’m pretty involved at church." (St. Paul’s Catholic Church in the Broadmoor area.)

How did you earn your letter in community service?

“Last year I joined (STAH), and it stands for Students and Teachers Aiding Humanity. Basically it’s just like a community service club. … At the beginning of the summer before my sophomore year, I started doing community service wherever I could find it — Marian House soup kitchen, the library, Care and Share, wherever I could help out. Over the course of the year, by May, I got 100 hours, and I lettered in community service.”

What do you want to major in at college?

“I definitely want to do music to some extent. I’m not positive about majoring, but if I were to, I’d probably double major in music and, I’m also thinking about, biomedical engineering or some other science major.
“Potentially I could go to medical school and become a doctor. Or since I’d have my engineering degree, I could go into that field of work.

“Whatever happens with music, it’s so competitive and so difficult to get into. Even if I got my engineering degree, I’d do music on the side.”

What made you want to write a book?

“At the beginning of January, it was over winter break, I just had this idea and I just started writing. And I kept writing, and I ran into this writer’s block around April. But then I came back to it after school ended at the end of May, and I finished it the night before I went to Interlochen because I wanted to get it done before it left.
“So it’s finished, I still have to go through and edit it and everything.”

Are you going to try to get it published?

“I’m considering it. I want to take it to my AP English teacher at school, he’s a really good writer, and I want to have him look at it and give me some advice. I mean there’s still a lot of work I have left to do on it.

Can you give me an idea of what it’s about?

“It is fiction. My potential audience would be people my age, like teenagers. It’s a book about teenage issues with a sci-fi twist.

“It’s about this kid, Aidan, and his twin sister, Katie, and they move into this new town and he starts having these weird dreams. And these dreams kind of sort of start to turn into reality. And there’s this whole history and whole other world that he learns about from these dreams, and he has a hard time telling what’s real from what’s fake.

“So at the same time that all of this is happening, he’s also dealing with issues at home. … It’s aimed for teenagers who have trouble in their lives.”

What’s the worst part about high school?

“The worst part about high school is definitely the unnecessary drama that takes time away from other stuff I could be doing. I’ve had to deal with that for a long time.”

Who are your favorite musicians?

“My favorite clarinet player, I’d have to say, is Mark Nuccio. He’s in the New York Philharmonic, he also happens to be my teacher’s son. I really like him because we both have the same teacher — his dad taught him and his dad’s teaching me — so he’s what I aim for, he’s what I want to be. He’s really like my role model, what I’m aspiring to be.”

Do you ever get time to relax?

Mainly on the weekends because typically during the school week I’m practicing. I should be practicing two hours of clarinet a day and one hour of piano. And between all the school work, it’s hard to find time to sit there and know I have nothing to do; that pretty much never happens.

“I’m not overworked or stressed or anything, because I like to keep myself busy. But it’s nice on the weekends, because I know I have time to do my homework over the weekend.

“At my school I’m also involved in choir, and I’m also in drama, as well, and in advanced acting. So those are my expansion on art a little bit; I get to experience other areas.

“During the school day, I go from 6:40 in the morning until 2:05 in the afternoon. I have eight classes straight, and I have five minutes in between each class, so it’s pretty much nonstop.”