"I hated it for a long time."
                This is a strong statement to describe an activity that constitutes a large part of one’s time.
                Twelve years later, at the Italian restaurant Vacarro’s, the pianist who strongly felt this statement when he was just five years old now plays a rich mahogany piano. As senior Michael Zumpano swiftly plays, a group of diners enjoy their meals while listening to the sweet melodies emanating from the piano. 
                "Now I love it," Zumpano said. 
                Zumpano started playing the piano at a young age and has developed a profound love for the instrument, fine-tuned his skills, and shared his talent with others. 
                Zumpano has been taking weekly piano lessons since the age of 5, when his parents first encouraged him to do so. During these lessons, Zumpano learned how to play classical piano. 
                "I hated it for a long time. I didn’t like classical because I wasn’t good at reading music. I dreaded [piano practices] literally for eight years," Zumpano said.
                During his freshman year, however, his opinion changed. Zumpano started taking private jazz lessons with University of Akron music teacher Rock Wehrmann, and Zumpano proved to be a natural at this musical genre. 
                "It’s just been remarkable. He’s the best of all my private students, and I have a lot of adult [students] who have been playing for a long time," Wehrmann.
                This transition from classical to jazz music made all the difference, and Zumpano fell in love with the piano.
                "With classical music, you are just reproducing what’s on the page. With jazz, however, you can improvise, which is what I used to do before I started taking jazz classes. Jazz is just a natural fit for my musical preferences, and I can improvise a lot more, which is something that comes naturally to me," Zumpano said. 
                Wehrmann feels Zumpano’s good ear for music makes him a natural at improvisation, thus personalizing his music. 
                "One of the most important things about being a jazz player is listening to music, and Michael hears more than most people do when he listens to music. It’s like the difference between being able to drive a car and being able to repair a car. Michael understands the nuts and bolts of what’s going on in the music. He doesn’t just read and play music, he creates it himself. Some people just have a natural ability for it. Michael definitely has a natural ability for it," Wehrmann said. 
                This improvisation has allowed Zumpano to create his own music, which his father Fred Zumpano says his son has done for a long time. 
                "Michael has a long history of writing his own music. As soon as he began playing, he started writing originals, and he surprised us with a solo performance at a third grade talent show," Fred said.
                The majority of Zumpano’s efforts toward creating his own music and perfecting his technique occur outside of official practice, as a result of dedication and passion.
                "He is doing the vast majority of this work himself. At this point I’m not teaching him, I’m just guiding him," Wehrmann said. 
                This dedication has enabled Zumpano to perform at paid gigs at Vacarro’s, Tangiers, and a benefit charity at Our Lady of the Elms. Wehrmann feels these experiences have benefitted Zumpano, giving him real-world experiences.
                "I thought [Vacarro’s] would be a great place for Michael to start playing out for paid gigs. This is the typical real professional play. You go out and you play in a club and you get paid for it," Wehrmann said. 
                Zumpano even partook in an opportunity that a full time, professional musician enjoys. 
                "At Vacarro’s I got my first song request, and it was World Tonight by Eric Clapton. I was thrilled to know the song and be able to play it for him," Zumpano said.
                Zumpano has also performed at Kent State University event, in which he used the university’s Steinway concert grand piano. He has particpated in the high school’s variety show individually and with his band Auto Punch. 
                "Michael’s performances have ranged from parties, church events, cultural events, and the largest, a benefit auction where he played in front of 400 people. My favorite times are when he honors his grandparents by playing the songs they love whenever they come to visit," Fred said. 
                Zumpano feels he would have not received these oppurtunities without the support of his parents and his grandfather. 
                "I just really want to thank my parents for keeping me into the piano and for pushing me. No matter how many times I hated practice, they’ve kept me into it. I have benefited from it in more ways than I could imagine," Zumpano said. 
                Despite his prodigious talent, Zumpano does not want to pursue a career in music. His friends and family, however, feel he could go far in a musical career.
                "He’s a better natural musician than a lot of the people I teach. I would love to see him take a double major and major in the engineering field and minor in music. He could do some pretty amazing things," Wehrmann said. 
                Regardless of his career choice, music constitutes an important role in Zumpano’s life, a role he will never forget.
                "Not an hour goes by that I don’t have a song in my head. [Music] is involved in almost every action I do. Without it, my life would be a lot more boring," Zumpano said.