NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Drury High senior and Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies student drummer Zach Hillard has composed a song, "Here I Am," as a personal anthem of overcoming challenges.

 

"If you want to do something, go do it. That's the whole point behind 'Here I Am,'"  Hillard said. "Any obstacles and challenges you may face in your life, if you have something you want to do, go for it. There is not one person on earth who does not have a dream or something they want to overcome. Whether it is physical or mental, it does not matter, if you want to do it."

 

The song is personal and showcases Hillard's struggles with cerebral palsy and how those struggles have shaped who he has become. 

 

The song opens with the lyrics:

 

Look — my name is Zach.

I was born early, eager to see the world

and drop some knowledge.

Doctors said that I would not talk, walk,

and be wheelchair bound.

But look at me:

Here I am.

I'm talking, walking, and can do anything

I wanna do; nothing can stop me.

 

Hillard said he never knew writing music would be so important to him and was surprised by how much he took to the BAAMS assignment that asked students to pen some lyrics and themes for an original song.

 

Hillard decided to write about his own life. 

 

"I've got a pretty cool life story. So I went home, I thought about it, and in about one day, I had most of it written," he said. "...The end of verse one I wrote ‘look at me here I am.' I thought 'Here I am' that is sort of catchy."