Zack Dehnke
From Guitar Hero to Talented Musician
Zack Dehnke and his family moved from Canton to 10774 Lighthouse Point in September 2020. He was nominated to share his passion and talent for playing music by his neighbor, Nicole Lazar, when I was delivering a welcome basket to her. She shared, "When we first moved here, I thought our neighbors just liked to jam out to classic rock. I don't mind because we love it too, and then I discovered their son was actually playing the music! It blew my mind — he's so talented!" Both families have since become great friends. I loved getting the chance to meet Zack and watch him perform a few songs on his acoustic and electric guitars!
Zack's passion for playing music began when he was introduced to the Guitar Hero video game when he was about 5. He became really good at it and desired to play that well on an acoustic guitar. His mom, Jessica, found a great instructor at Axis Music in Canton, and that's where it all really began. Eventually, Zack followed one of the instructors (who plays for Mitch Ryder) to Northville to continue his studies. He's performed songs like "Baby Blue," "House of the Rising Sun," and "Over The Hills And Far Away" for school talent shows and fundraisers. He was the Bieber! One of the newest ones is "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica, which happens to be the neighbor's favorite! Besides attending high school and being an all-A student, Zack continued to take guitar lessons. He was just as passionate about wrestling and wrestled for seven years. Zach was captain of his team during his junior and senior years. Since then, his passion for music has greatly expanded; he is learning to play the drums and the banjo and has deejayed, being given the name DJ Dank, in addition to mixing and producing his own music.
Early on, his taste in music was influenced by the music his parents enjoyed. Their favorite musicians are Bruce Springsteen, Bob Segar, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, John Lennon and a few other greats. Zack has grown up with music his whole life and has seen many concerts over the years. He has now found his own inspirational artists and bands, such as Metallica, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Jimmy Hendrix, Slash, Nirvana, Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne. He's not a huge country fan, except for Johnny Cash and Eric Church. Zack also enjoys hip-hop music like Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar, among other artists. Travis Scott is the first artist he saw on his own.
His parents have hosted concerts at Cherry Hill Village Theatre in Canton for musicians, and Zack had the opportunity to play with them before shows. Their musician friends, Michael McDermott and Jill Jack have been an inspiration to him for many years. Last summer, Zack went to Lollapalooza for the first time, which kicked his passion for live music way up. He finally saw the Rolling Stones in November after being delayed due to COVID-19. He loved it!
Zack has a love, passion and knowledge for music beyond his years, but he will not often play for people, so his playing for me was truly an exception! He also thrives on the journey of developing his skills and playing more complex riffs and songs. Zack is committed and would like to play live at some point, and he dreams of one day having the opportunity to smash his guitar!
Zack attends the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He will graduate this spring with a major in accounting, a major in finance, and a minor in criminal justice. He shares, "My parents encouraged me to have something to fall back on while pursuing my passion as a musician." His goal is to become a master at his craft, working towards 10,000 hours of practicing. Proof of this is the calluses on his fingers. Zack works diligently to accomplish this goal by planning his weekly schedule to ensure he has the time to practice around all his other commitments. He is also an assistant wrestling coach at Livonia Churchill High School, another passion he still enjoys.
You can follow Zack on Instagram @_dehnke_. Zack shares, "A lot of people think they can't play, but it just takes practice, time and dedication, like all things. Follow your own passion! It will not start out great, and the creative process can be messy. Don't give up or let others put out your steam. Just do the work, and don't let the haters stop you!"
Zack's passion for playing music began when he was introduced to the Guitar Hero video game when he was about 5. He became really good at it and desired to play that well on an acoustic guitar. His mom, Jessica, found a great instructor at Axis Music in Canton, and that's where it all really began. Eventually, Zack followed one of the instructors (who plays for Mitch Ryder) to Northville to continue his studies. He's performed songs like "Baby Blue," "House of the Rising Sun," and "Over The Hills And Far Away" for school talent shows and fundraisers. He was the Bieber! One of the newest ones is "For Whom The Bell Tolls" by Metallica, which happens to be the neighbor's favorite! Besides attending high school and being an all-A student, Zack continued to take guitar lessons. He was just as passionate about wrestling and wrestled for seven years. Zach was captain of his team during his junior and senior years. Since then, his passion for music has greatly expanded; he is learning to play the drums and the banjo and has deejayed, being given the name DJ Dank, in addition to mixing and producing his own music.
Early on, his taste in music was influenced by the music his parents enjoyed. Their favorite musicians are Bruce Springsteen, Bob Segar, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty, John Lennon and a few other greats. Zack has grown up with music his whole life and has seen many concerts over the years. He has now found his own inspirational artists and bands, such as Metallica, James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Jimmy Hendrix, Slash, Nirvana, Randy Rhoads and Ozzy Osbourne. He's not a huge country fan, except for Johnny Cash and Eric Church. Zack also enjoys hip-hop music like Post Malone and Kendrick Lamar, among other artists. Travis Scott is the first artist he saw on his own.
His parents have hosted concerts at Cherry Hill Village Theatre in Canton for musicians, and Zack had the opportunity to play with them before shows. Their musician friends, Michael McDermott and Jill Jack have been an inspiration to him for many years. Last summer, Zack went to Lollapalooza for the first time, which kicked his passion for live music way up. He finally saw the Rolling Stones in November after being delayed due to COVID-19. He loved it!
Zack has a love, passion and knowledge for music beyond his years, but he will not often play for people, so his playing for me was truly an exception! He also thrives on the journey of developing his skills and playing more complex riffs and songs. Zack is committed and would like to play live at some point, and he dreams of one day having the opportunity to smash his guitar!
Zack attends the University of Michigan-Dearborn. He will graduate this spring with a major in accounting, a major in finance, and a minor in criminal justice. He shares, "My parents encouraged me to have something to fall back on while pursuing my passion as a musician." His goal is to become a master at his craft, working towards 10,000 hours of practicing. Proof of this is the calluses on his fingers. Zack works diligently to accomplish this goal by planning his weekly schedule to ensure he has the time to practice around all his other commitments. He is also an assistant wrestling coach at Livonia Churchill High School, another passion he still enjoys.
You can follow Zack on Instagram @_dehnke_. Zack shares, "A lot of people think they can't play, but it just takes practice, time and dedication, like all things. Follow your own passion! It will not start out great, and the creative process can be messy. Don't give up or let others put out your steam. Just do the work, and don't let the haters stop you!"