Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Gilliam
Zach, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in Fort Worth with just my mom, and I started playing guitar around the age of 12. My grandfather always had one laying around the house and it was only a matter of time before I started banging around on it, trying to make sounds. My Pop, among many things was a music minister and a pastor, and he taught me my first few chords. When I was around 16, I was asked to come play at a church in Southlake called White’s Chapel, and that’s truly where I trace a lot of my musical connections and relationships from. Guitar, for me at least, was really just a way to make sense of the world around me, and the fact that I was meeting and rubbing shoulders with legendary musicians such as Mark Lettieri, Bobby Sparks, Keith Anderson, Gino Iglehart, and many others was one of the most inspiring moments of my life. It was like I’d fallen into a world that I’d always loved but never knew existed until these people showed me that I could do it if I worked hard enough.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh gosh haha absolutely not. I think it takes someone to be a little bit crazy to do this haha! And brave. I came from a pretty conservative and traditional family, all of which were college educated and mostly teachers/professors, and even though music was played in the home, the idea that I could do it for a living was a fundamentally foreign concept. I had a couple family members that would send me job opening after job opening, and I finally had to say “hey, let me try this my own way”. I think it really just comes down to time, and how you budget it. How much is it worth to you and how lean can you live if your time is that valuable that you need to be sowing seeds for the future now. Time is the one resource that we can’t get back, and yet we don’t think about how freely we give it at times.
Learning how to navigate the industry, relationships, gigs, lessons, and everything in between is something that I would try and sometimes even fail at, but I’m still here. I think all that life is, is really just a learning game and I feel incredibly grateful to say I’ve gotten the chance to learn from some of the best musicians in the industry, and some of my heroes are even my friends now.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
After spending years working in the wedding and special event industry, I decided to start my own company, Collective Entertainment. We’re brand new but we’re real heavy. I wanted to create a culture within the group that the greatest musicians in town would be proud to be a part of, sonically excellent, while providing a musically collaborative and unique touch that brides, planners, and guests would never forget. Whether it’s a crazy uncle that loves Steely Dan, a bride wanting to dance with her father to their favorite song, a CEO that love Tears for Fears, we’ve got you covered.
To me, the reason that Collective is so special is that the people you see working on stage with me don’t need to be there for a gig. They’re choosing to be there because they believe in what we’re building, and we all genuinely care and respect each other beyond just simply working together. These are my people that I’ve vetted and chosen and they mean a great deal to me, and we all often spend time with each other outside of Collective. Over the years of my career I’ve built a network of the greatest musicians, singers, sound techs, photographers, videographers, and salespeople, and Collective is the vehicle that gives planners and brides access to the greatest professionals this city has to offer. We offer a variety of live band packages focused towards weddings, corporate events, and virtually any reason to have live music, no matter how big or small, our team can make any event unforgettable.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I still think that with all the crazy cool marketing and reels on Instagram, the best referrals are simply word of mouth. If you know someone that’s getting married soon, reach out to them and show them our page and talk about us. We’ll work with any budget and make their day incredibly special. If you know a wedding planner, reach out to them and tell them about what we’re building here in Dallas.
I’m always available for gigs, live sessions, and I also teach lessons under my own teaching business as well, Zach Gilliam Guitar Lessons at www.zachgilliamguitar.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.collective-entertainment.com and www.zachgilliamguitar.com
- Instagram: @collectiveentertainmentband @zachgilliamguitar
Image Credits
Larry Gee, Parker Moore, Ray Herbert
