Pine-Richland graduate Jack Semke hopes to inspire through his music

Hearing a great song can change your life. For singer-songwriter Jack Semke, 18, that song was “Sailboat” by Ben Rector.

“That was the first song I remember that made me want to learn how to play guitar,” he said. “It came on the radio after a day of walking in North Park with my dad. I remember listening to it with him as a kid while the sun was shining and thinking about how awesome it was.”

Now, Semke hopes that his songs can have that same impact on others.

The 2022 Pine-Richland High School graduate has two new songs coming out in February that he’s excited for people to hear. The first song, “Voices,” will be released on all major streaming platforms on Feb. 17. The second song, “Sinner and the Saint,” will be released on Feb. 24.

Semke first started playing guitar in fifth grade, encouraged by his family and one of his teachers who played the guitar. Playing rock songs on guitar at the School of Rock in Wexford inspired his interest in the rock genre.

“When I do shows, I do rock covers but strip them down acoustic. I’ll play country, originals, a little something from every genre,” Semke said.

He has been performing alone since he was 14. He believes that performing songs acoustically feels more personal.

Music is a way to bridge gaps for Semke.

“It’s an outlet for me. Music lets you connect with people you might not connect with otherwise. It’s a way to reach people,” he said.

His mission in music is to remind people that they are not alone.

“The lyrics that I write, they’re not meant only for me. I have friends and family that have struggled with mental health issues and I try to reach out to them through my music. Sometimes it’s hard to talk about how you’re feeling so if they feel like they can connect with me through my music, that’s a good thing.”

Semke is currently pursuing a degree in business and hospitality from Pittsburgh Technical College. In the next few years, he wants to earn his degree in business and hospitality, gain more exposure to help more people through his music, and keep working on being the best version of himself that he can be. For him, the best part is that both careers involve connecting with people.

“So many amazing people have helped me get to where I am in life, I want to return the favor.”

He’s grateful to his family for being on this journey with him and refers to his parents as his biggest supporters.

Community and connection mean everything to this young musician.

“One of my favorite memories is when I played my first solo at a show and had the crowd going crazy,” Semke said. “The other one is when my family held a fake album release party for me when I was a kid. It was a terrible album, the whole thing was crap, but I had around 75 people show up to my house for this party. Seeing all of my family, friends, and loved ones turn out to see me play was something special.”