Zachary J. Kreuz was born in Columbus, Ohio and moved to Toledo, Ohio at  the age of eight. Here he studied snare drum and went on to play percussion in the junior high school symphonic wind ensemble. He then started studying drum-set from a private instructor at a local music store. At the age of fifteen he moved with his uncle and attended The Broad Ripple High School for the Performing Arts. Here he participated in the jazz and marching band as well as the symphonic wind ensemble and the orchestra. His private lesson teacher was timpanist Thomas Akins of the Indianapolis Symphony. Through this student/teacher relationship, Zac was starting to get good recommendations for jobs playing in local theater productions. He also was getting work with a local top-forty band and with a jazz group that he and his peers formed consisting of all high school musicians. After graduation, Zachary then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. for two years. From there he decided to pursue a career in music performance. Moving back to Toledo, he gained invaluable experience working with both pianist Larry Fuller and Johnny O'Neil. Philadelphia was the next stop and Zac found work within two weeks of being in the city of brotherly love. For two years he worked with an organ trio and went on to play with prominent players such as Shirley Scott, Johnny Coles, Tim Warfield, Terrell Stafford, Al Grey, Jimmy Bruno, and Joey Defrancesco. He credits drummer Mickey Roker with being a big influence on his career during this time period as well as now. "I tried to see and hear him play as often as I could. We would finish a gig and go straight to were he was playing. I knew that I was hearing something special. He can be so smooth and yet explosive when he wants to be. He has always been generous to other drummers, in letting them sit in and play. I not only learned a lot about music but I learned about being a gentleman as well. He's such a class act." From Philadelphia, Zac went to Cincinnati where he played and taught for several years. From that point, he decided to go back to Boston and complete his degree. There was no time to celebrate going straight to Chicago, Zac completed his master's degree in Jazz studies from De Paul University. While in Chicago he also recorded an album with organist Hal Tulchida from Japan. Recently Zac has been recording and arranging original music with a number of collaborators. When not recording he utilizes his spare time performing all throughout the midwest including Cincinnati, Chicago, Columbus, Dayton, Detroit, and places in between.