Rising Stars: Meet Zachary Vaughn

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Vaughn

Zachary, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I grew up in church, as a pastor’s kid in Rochester NY. In the church I learned how to play piano and eventually became a part of the worship team. Since about 4th grade, music has played a huge role in my life. Playing music eventually led to writing my own music in middle school and even got my first experiences performing my own lyrics on a stage.

It felt so natural and music was like home so I pursued Music Production and Audio Engineering in college. First getting an Associates at FLCC and then Bachelors at Belmont, I learned how to produce my own instrumentals, record my own lyrics, and mix/master my own music.

In school, I also studied music business and learned how to be an independent musician. I’ve not only been able to create and record my own music, but I’ve also been able to put out, monetize, and market my music as well. Being in Nashville I’ve also been able to have the chance to connect with other talented music professionals and learning different things about every aspect of the industry and strengthen my personal and interpersonal skills.

All of that as brought me to where I am today. I feel as if I’ve cultivated a rhythm in which to create, but also “run my business”. I’m still small now, but as time goes and the music scales, I feel as if there’s a solid foundation to build on in my career.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. On every front I’ve faced various struggles. Most recently, the issue I’ve struggled with is gaining attention to put on a show. Even though I have content, and I have some experience connecting to a venue that would book me was and has been difficult.

I also struggle a lot with the ideas of social media; not only just creating it, because that’s a full time job, but also learning how to grow and be successful in it. I still haven’t figured out the “key” to success on the social media sites. Even through consistent posting, and honest effort, it still feels like a lottery. And through this, it gets somewhat discouraging, and hard to maintain the desire to market using social apps.

Overall, the struggle has been getting attention on the music that I release. Some songs are hit or miss, but I haven’t found a consistent way to give my audience something they’d enjoy.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I would identify myself in one word “a producer”. But within that, I’m an artist, engineer, songwriter, musician and plenty more. I specialize in creating instrumentals for myself, for others, for sync, and just as a vibe. I think i’m best known as the artist “ZiL” mainly because that is the “face” of my brand. When I do shows, or share on socials, people aren’t seeing me as a producer, they don’t think about the work that has gone into putting on the show itself. Which is fine, I just get the opportunity to share what I do as a producer through being an artist.

I’m most proud of the fact that I am able to create a song from start to finish, even though I’m not the greatest at everything, I know that I can do it at a level that is competitive for the marketplace. I believe what sets me apart from others is my sound and message. As a christian rap artist, I’m a part of a small niche. But in many arenas I am categorized and just “inspiring” and best of all “clean”. I’ve found that most people have had experiences with putting on a rap show at their venue and it would end up destructive because of the nature of the artist. I’m happy because even though I lead with Hip-Hop, the type of show that I bring is always one that is positive.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
It surprise people that I’m currently working it all myself. Most notably the production, recording, mixing, and mastering. But I’m also keen to do my own distribution, marketing, and design. I manage my own social accounts, and do some video and photo editing where necessary. I created and manage my website as well. Really anything that has to do with my work I’ve figured out how to do, or have learned from someone else, and it’s allowed me to do everything on this scale.

Pricing:

• Mix/Master (Single) – $250
• Exclusive Beat License – $200
• Mix (Single) – $150
• Master (Single) – $150

Contact Info:

• Website: https://madebyzil.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/call_me_zil/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madebyzil/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@call_meZiL

Image Credits
Veronica Visconti, Vitalii Garbulinskii, Elizabeth Huber