After fifth period, Croton-Harmon High School Band Director Ms. Jazz Zantay’s office is alive with activity. Students come and go with questions, but one constant remains: senior Cormac Taylor is there, ready to help. Whether it’s a percussionist asking about timpani tuning or a clarinetist struggling with a musical section, Cormac offers guidance with ease. “That’s just who Mac is,” said Ms. Zantay. “Since his very first alto sax lesson with me in fourth grade, he’s been eager to teach what he’s learned to his peers. That support has continued through high school. He’s been teaching his fellow jazz band students about improvisation and continues to lead with confidence.”

This natural leadership is matched by musical excellence. Recently, Cormac - who goes by Mac - earned the distinguished honor of being selected for the NYSSMA All-State Conference Jazz Band. Acceptance into All-State is one of the most competitive achievements for student musicians in New York, requiring a perfect score on a Level VI solo—the most difficult performance level. Out of more than 6,000 students who audition, only 600 are chosen. Cormac will perform on the saxophone with the All-State Jazz Band at the NYSSMA Winter Conference in Rochester this December.

Mac’s path to NYSSMA success began in fifth grade at Pierre Van Cortlandt Middle School, paving the way for his All-State selection. “When I found out that Mac had earned a perfect score—100 points across every category of tone, rhythm, technique, interpretation, and sight reading—I knew it was extremely likely he’d be selected,” said Ms. Zantay. In school, he found the encouragement and opportunities to take his early passion for music and channel it into measurable achievements like NYSSMA.

Mac’s story is remarkable given his limited formal training in the beginning. His mother likes to say music may have been his first language. Snug in his car seat as an infant, his first words were sung, not spoken. At six, he picked up a guitar to write a song for a childhood crush. By nine, he had set his heart on the saxophone, though the only instrument at home was a clarinet his grandfather had found at a yard sale. “I didn’t know the difference between a clarinet and a saxophone, so I tried to teach myself saxophone on the clarinet until I finally got my first saxophone at CET,” he laughed. Since then, he has added piano, guitar, flute, and clarinet to his repertoire, and can even advise on percussion instruments. His growth was supported by the music opportunities available to him in school from the very beginning.

But there has been no greater level of support than what Mac receives from his mother who, in kind, is inspired by his fortitude. She said: "Honestly, there isn't anything Mac does that surprises me.  Literally the first week he learned to walk, he was balancing himself on the back of the couch!  When Mac sets his mind on something, with patience and determination, he works his hardest until he succeeds. My baby is my inspiration."

Versatility also defines his taste in performance. “I love playing in smaller settings—in quartets or a sextet with a singer—because it’s easier to connect and speak to the audience through music,” Cormac said. He draws inspiration from jazz greats like Ornette Coleman, a pioneering saxophonist of the free jazz movement. “You can hear the freedom and hardship of his ancestors through his music. Playing feels like jumping into a pool and floating underwater. It’s so free. That’s what music is to me—it lives between worlds.”

For Ms. Zantay, watching Cormac’s growth has been deeply rewarding. “I’ve been his teacher since he was nine. Every year his passion has helped him to grow, not just in music but in confidence. And it’s been possible because he’s had supportive teachers and steady opportunities to pursue music in school. I am excited to be there to support him at the conference, and I can’t wait to see what the future will bring for Mac.”

Cormac’s clear vision for himself after high school includes attending a music college and a commitment to a career in the field. “I could read eight bars of music before I could read a sentence. For me, music makes sense, it resonates on a deep level,” he said. “There is no Plan B. Music is personal to me. It’s how I connect with others, how I share and help. It excites me—this is my future.”