Many De Soto High School students are involved and dedicated to music, but few are more so than junior Zach Burch.

Burch has been involved in music since he was very young and has been interested in pursuing a career in music since he was about 8 years old.

“I started gigging in eighth grade,” Burch said. “I was in a band up until three weeks ago [when] we played our last gig. We started heading in different musical directs so I just ended it.”

Burch is currently focused on his original music and making his way as a solo artist. His style of music is primarily folk/pop and alternative. He is mainly influenced by artists such as John Mayer and Robert Francis.

“I’m not looking to join bands really,” Burch said. “What I’m doing right now is trying to get my name out there by doing acoustic gigs.”

He writes a lot of his own music and focuses mainly on playing guitar and singing.

“I’ve written like five songs in the last month,” Burch said. “Whenever I write music, I’m on my bed and I just start thinking about random stuff and I just start playing guitar and I’m just like ‘Wow, this is pretty cool!’ Eventually, it becomes a sincere and honest song.”

Burch has written about 40 to 50 total original songs and is still working on more to add to his EP titled Through the Universe. The EP will have six songs and should be out next summer.

“It’s kind of a rebuilding phase right now,” Burch said.

After he finishes his EP, Burch hopes to play gigs in Leewood and in downtown Kansas City, Mo. After high school, he plans on attending a “contemporary music college” such as Belmont University  in Nashville or Berkley College of Music in Boston.

To hear a sample of Zach’s music go to:  https://soundcloud.com/zachary-burch-1/like-the-color-blue-2nd-mix