Zack Rapp
Lesson Feesfrom $25.00 / 30 Minutes
Promotions Available
About
Zack Rapp grew up north of Chicago in the small town of Libertyville, IL. From a young age it was clear that he was drawn to music when he began taking violin lessons at age 9, and was inspired by his brother to pick up the guitar a year later at age ten. He spent his teenage years performing in premier youth orchestras such as Chicago’s Midwest Young Artists, performing in places such as Prague, Athens, and Peru - all while taking lessons from reknowned jazz guitarist Frank Portelese and Rex Carroll of 80’s christian metal band, Whitecross. Zack attended Berklee College of Music on scholarship, where he graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Guitar Performance. He has worked with various artists such as Sophia Bollman, Fetty Wap, 88rising, Gyyps, Ayala, and more, as well as placements in Madden NFL ’23 and David Blaine’s “The Magic Way.” But his favorite credit is taking the stage with Dream Theater for their 2014 live DVD, “Breaking the Fourth Wall.” He now works in Los Angeles as a session musician, spending his days in the studio doing what he loves.
Zack has had many different kinds of teachers through his musical life, and so he’s seen what does and doesn’t work from the student’s perspective (while he’s figured out some things on his own, he wouldn’t exactly call himself self-taught). He’s had experiences with teachers that grew impatient with him, and that’s always stuck in his mind as a method he never wants to repeat. Diving into new material can be tricky, and having a positive atmosphere around this exploration is key to any musician’s growth.
Once a student has a firm grasp of the fundamentals of the instrument and the music itself, Zack likes to take an approach based on learning scales - but not the same boring way you might be thinking. It’s easy to get lost in which scales to use where and when, and which modes, etc… it can be a lot to keep track of! The key is understanding where the notes are on the fretboard, and how they interact to form basic major and minor chords. A lot of guitarists (myself included) were only taught a few scale positions and told when to use them - I prefer to teach the entire fretboard as one big landscape to explore.
Berklee College of Music Alum 2015