You might have been lucky enough to be an audience member in the recent LFHS Talent Show.
Sophomore rockstar Marcel Meyer lit up the RMA with his sensational talent of fretting on the electric guitar and sharing his exquisite vocals. Time after time when Marcel would hit the stage, the crowd roared with cheer and excitement.
“When you think of the greatest guitar players of all time, you think of Hendrix, Clapton, and now I think of Marcel too. He is just that superior,” junior Ford Davie said.
Marcel had two huge acts, both being bands. He opened the show with Blues Deluxe and closed it with a classic, Superstition.
“I started playing the guitar in third grade when my dad came home and gave me an acoustic guitar. I immediately started taking lessons once a week at the Guitar Center in Highland Park and learned the song ‘Smoke on the Water’ by Deep Purple,” Meyer said.
Over the past seven years, Meyer has expanded his skills to play blues, rock, folk, jazz, and indie.
“I have become more aware and appreciative of different music genres. Especially recently, I’ve been drawn to jazz techniques and try to push myself to learn more each time I play,” Meyer said.
As Meyer is just a sophomore, it’s hard to believe the range of music that he can play. However, his ability to play a myriad of songs did not just one day appear. Marcel spends at least three hours a day playing the electric guitar.
“I can’t remember the last day I didn’t play for over three hours. I start off with an hour of playing to a song or messing around with different chords. Then, I work on music theory, learning how to read and play certain notes. Then I usually write music, fiddle around with technique, and hopefully have a new song at the end of the hour,” Meyer said.
Yes, that’s right— a sophomore is publishing their own music.
“I am hopefully soon releasing a solo demo album, filled with mostly acoustic,” Meyer said.
He has a unique skill to write a variety of different genres based on how his day has gone.
“One time, I had a really really bad day. I could feel that bad day on me. I was upset and wanted to let my emotions out. The best way to do that was music,” Meyer said. “I just started to strum and write some chord progressions, how my internal feelings would translate into the real world, then I added some lyrics to it.”
Meyer is in a band named Zamboni, that includes juniors Nate Arch, Jude Weinstein, Fleury Robbins and senior Millie Foley. They perform whenever they have a chance for outdoor gigs at beer gardens and festivals in the summer.
While he mainly writes songs for himself to sing and play solo, Meyer and his bandmates have crafted music together to perform at concert gigs and to be recorded.
“My band and I put together our first single called ‘New Orleans’ which is an indie/latin song. We have performed it at a Gorton Festival and Pumpkin Fest and hopefully we will record it soon,” Meyer said.
The next gig Zamboni will be performing at is the CROYA Battle of The Bands, where they won in 2024 and are hoping to win again this year.
“I love being in a band and it wouldn’t have been possible without Nate Arch, who reached out to me after the talent show last year. They were looking for a lead guitarist so I was happy to fill that position,” Meyer said. “They have become some of my great friends and it’s unique because we all share such a strong passion for music so the friendships are really special.”
Be sure to not miss the one-of-a-kind performance of Zamboni and all their incredible music this spring.
Beyond just making music together, the band has had a profound impact on Meyer personally, shaping both his confidence and identity as a musician.
“I have almost kind of taken on a different personality while being in a band. It genuinely has changed me as a person. Before, I was timid, shy, and embarrassed about my music but now I am proud of it and have made so many friends and memories because of it. I have grown so much confidence and I am not afraid to play my music for anyone,” said Meyer.
