UTSA grad Antonio Zubillaga overcomes addiction and finds his voice | UTSA Today | UTSA

Life modified, although, when he achieved sobriety in 2017. He determined it was time to dedicate himself to his passions and aspirations by pursuing a level in music. 

“After I determined to get sober, I used to be going to come back again to UTSA. However my GPA was method too low, so I went to Alamo Faculties to choose it up,” Zubillaga stated.

He started taking music programs and bettering his GPA at Northwest Vista Faculty, the place he had his first college-level voice lesson. Regardless of his main restoration, he confronted an uphill battle to get his voice again into form for auditions and to fulfill the calls for of being a music main.

“It does really feel like I’m attempting to play catch-up, particularly after I go to competitions and see youngsters who’ve been in voice classes longer than I’ve,” Zubillaga stated.

However the assist of school members has saved him going.

The UTSA pupil says life drastically improved upon re-admittance to UTSA. He fully remodeled his voice beneath the tutelage of Crystal Jarrell Johnson, assistant professor of follow for voice within the UTSA Faculty of Music.

“She’s been superb at pushing me to do higher but in addition very understanding since my scenario is a little bit bit completely different from everybody else’s,” Zubillaga remarked. “She’s been very emotionally clever.”

Beneath Johnson’s path, Zubillaga has delivered compelling performances at recitals, concert events and musical productions. Those that have seen him carry out say that he demonstrates poise, mature musicianship, and spectacular tonal qualities in his voice.

As a part of his efforts to pay it ahead, Zubillaga works with college students as an administrative assistant within the UTSA Honors Faculty.

“It’s been an enormous inspiration working with college students who’ve executed a lot after they’re so younger,” Zubillaga stated. “It’s helped me achieve a brand new appreciation for what the college does to present college students what they should succeed.”

Although balancing his research whereas sustaining a number of jobs, payments and household has been difficult, Zubillaga encountered a supportive ambiance amongst his friends that helped him succeed.

“It’s all the time been a really supportive tradition. There may be constructive criticism, however we all the time need to see one another succeed and it has allowed me to develop as an artist. That’s why I’m staying for my grasp’s,” stated Zubillaga, who will pursue his grasp’s in choral conducting.

“I need to be one of the best musician that I will be, and I believe conducting is the subsequent problem for me,” he stated.