About Me
Hi my name is Zak Astor, and I am 16 years old. I am a Senior at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (Music Department) which is a Grammy Signature School, and I am in the Nationally recognized Jazz Studies Program which in 2006 received The Gold Award from The Grammy Foundation. I am also a member of The Colburn School Legendary Monday Night Jazz Band, and The USC Los Angeles Youth Jazz Ensemble. My instrument is Piano. As a toddler my first and only toys were a Xylophone, Keyboard, Guitar and Drums. I began taking Classical Piano lessons before the age of 4, and my first public performance was at age 6. I have been playing and performing ever since in anonymity. I was often called a child prodigy and thats something that goes along with getting a younger start and leads to alot of opportunities and exposure. I turned from Classical Piano to Salsa Piano at the age of 9 and added Jazz at the age of 10 when I became the youngest member ever of JazzAmerica at The Skirball Center in Los Angeles. By age 13 I was already playing on the Salsa Nightclub Circuit in Los Angeles. I have won alot of amateur level Awards, Competitions and Scholarships, including, but not limited to the Semi Finals of The Music Center Spotlight Awards, Dolo Coker Jazz Competition, The LA Jazz Society Bill Green Mentorship, The Valley Cultural Center Music Competition, and Outstanding Musicianship Award at The Reno Jazz Festival 2009, but I have also been robbed, and passed over on a few occasions for not having the right look, complexion, polish or clean cut image that the Judges wanted. I am now seriously training and developing my vocal talents. I currently play Salsa Piano for the best Salsa Bands in the Los Angeles Area, and I am also the Bandleader of "Latin Music Power" my own Salsa Band. I have performed at LAPD Special Events, The Disney Concert Hall, RED CAT, Dorthy Chandler, Catalina Bar and Grill, Jazz Bakery, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Greek Theatre, Madrid Theatre, Alex Theatre, Covina Center for The Performing Arts, Olvera Street, The World Stage, Playboy Jazz Festival, Sweet and Hot Music Festival, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Granada Night Club in Alhambra, El Cid Night Club, Mamma Juanas Night Club, The Mayan, Stevens Steak House, Reno Jazz Festival, and numerous other venues. I will be working on my first CD in the Summer of 2009. I have nothing else going in my life, and there is nothing else that really matters to me.
