Antonio Zarco finds solace in music and strives to make his voice a beacon for goodness.
Twenty-one-year-old Antonio Zarco has had music embedded into his life from the beginning. Singing happy birthday to his sister in Portuguese at just two years old sparked a lifelong love for singing.
For Antonio, music is transcendent, impacting his life to its core. Vocalists like Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, Shawn Mendes, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, The Weeknd, and Adele inspire him greatly.
"Being a major fan and supporting their music truly changed my life, and I look up to them every single day."
However, Antonio's most prominent musical inspiration is the acapella singing group, Pentatonix.
"Their way of covering other people's music and making it their own truly inspired me as an artist."
Despite discovering a love for singing at an age when most were still trying to construct complete sentences, for a long time, Antonio didn't think it would amount to a career. It wasn't until he was "bullied and harassed" in high school and searched for an outlet for his emotions that a music career crossed his mind.
"It really took a toll on me, and that's when I started songwriting about what I would be going through during that time. Ever since then, I took both my singing and songwriting seriously."
Eventually, Antonio was introduced and encouraged to audition for The RockNRoll Chorus, a New Jersey-based touring acapella group.
"My girlfriend at the time, who was in the group before me and told me that I should audition for the group. So I auditioned and got in. I started as a backup singer and quickly advanced to lead vocalist, a position I enjoyed for three years."
With the group, he toured every summer and performed at venues such as The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH, Full Sail University in Winter Park, FL, Tin Roof in Nashville, TN, Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT, and other cities such as NYC, NY, Boston, MA, Orlando, FL, and Savannah, GA.
During his time with the group, Antonio recorded two albums; No Guilt Til Monday, released in 2017, and The RockNRoll Chorus, released in 2021. He was also a part of their appearance on Good Morning America to help promote a charity event.
Although he no longer performs with The RockNRoll Chorus, Antonio continues working with them as an assistant vocal coach, helping current cast members reach their fullest potential as singers and performers.
He may not be performing with The RockNRoll Chorus anymore, but Antonio continues to perform with the acapella group he created during quarantine, Garden State Sound.
"When we were all stuck at home and couldn't go anywhere, and I started seeing a lot of people making music at home, and so I decided on an idea and was like, 'Hmm, what about a virtual acapella group?' I started reaching out to friends who were singers also from The RockNRoll Chorus and also scouting other talent through Instagram and TikTok as well."
Behind the fantastic and catchy covers, GSS releases, there is a lot of hard work. As a virtual acapella group, the creative process differs from an in-person group like The RockNRoll Chorus.
"We sit on a Zoom call and either one person is sharing the screen of the song we're either arranging or mixing at that moment. We give constructive criticism on different types of syllables, having specific dynamics, and just having a well-balanced mix for all of the voices in GSS. We even send memos of the balanced mix to see what we can critique or fix before putting it out towards our fans."
Garden State Sound is working on dropping its debut album this year. More details are yet to be released, making this the unofficial announcement!
Antonio hopes that Garden State Sound "fosters a safe space where people feel included and accepted and, most of all, have a good time with one another." The group has allowed him to rekindle old friendships and the opportunity to create new ones; he wishes the group would do the same for others. The ultimate goal for Garden State Sound is to one day sing together in person.
Despite being a part of singing groups for most of his career, Antonio is expanding as a solo artist. With so much love for music, it was a natural transition for him to start working on original music.
"Music is a way we can communicate and send a message to anyone about how we're feeling and what going on in people's lives and how music can bring people closer together."
Antonio's original music is set to release sometime this year.
With his various musical endeavors, Antonio does not seek fame; instead, he aims to gain knowledge and respect from his peers in the industry. To him, success as a vocalist and performer means constantly improving and growing his skills. He aims to use his gift and love for music to create a community and spread goodness.
"I want my powerful voice to soar through the skies and bring hope and joy to those who need it most. I want the sound of my music to put a smile on people's faces not just because I'm a good singer, but also I'm a good human being."
Keep up with Antonio Zarco here.