Regression

One of the things I have loved about my tenure at Middlesex High School was the rich presence of the music department. There were the band concerts, the Listening Rooms and Rock Shows. There were teachers that would help us understand how to read music, and sometimes even write our own music. Sometimes in class, those teachers would teach us important life lessons and skills to help us achieve our dream and find our careers. It appears to have worked, for one of my classmates might have just found his life career at a young age.

This is Zack Seif. He will be the focus in this story. I have known Zack for around 8 years. We met in the 5th Grade, and he told me that he always wanted to play guitar. He got his wish. That year, he picked up his first guitar and started playing in the middle school upper band. From that point on, his love of music and guitar playing has reached new heights.

“I do it because I love it,” he said, “and I’ve always worked for it. It’s always been there for me and defined who I am as a person.”

After he graduated in June 2015, Zack began focusing his time on his music. Specifically, finishing his first EP, dating back to 2013, under the alias “Regression.” Before that he was in the band “Collapsing Faith,” and about 6 months later he parted ways. 6 months after graduation, in December 2015, he released his art piece to the world. The appropriately titled “Beginnings” EP is available for purchase or download on popular music sites such as Amazon and iTunes. On Regression’s Facebook page, he describes the genre and style of play of his new alias as “progressive instrumental.”

As he was finishing his EP, Zack Seif started studying music at Raritan Valley Community College. His jazz skills had landed him a part in the school’s jazz ensemble and pit band for the theater department. When he is not school, Zack teaches kids how to drum, play guitar, and play piano. Later on, Zack’s efforts in the pit band landed him a job for a theater company.

“A lot as been possible because of music,” he said. “I want to do it for the rest of my life.”

Find out more information on “Regression” at http://www.facebook.com/Regressionmusic

(Photos submitted by Zack Seif.)

(Album cover photo retrieved from the Regression Facebook page.) - Ryan Modica