Zack Tabudlo and the Full Circle of Dreams

There are moments in life that show how time can rewrite a story. For Zack Tabudlo, that moment is now.

In 2014, he was just a teenager on "The Voice Kids" stage, standing as a contestant full of hope. He only made it to the second round. For many, that would have been the end of a dream. For Zack, it became the start of a long road that would test his faith and his will to keep going.

“There are so many things that I went through as a musician, as an artist, and as a person also. But I always pray for it, and God really has a reason for everything. It comes in time na ma-realize mo na ah, kaya pala ginawa ni God ito, kaya pala ganito yung nangyari. It all makes sense in the end.”

Years later, that same stage welcomes him back. Only this time, he is not holding a contestant’s number. He is sitting on the red chair reserved for coaches.

Zack never hid the fact that he grew up feeling different. Music was his escape, his way to connect, his constant companion.

“I grew up in a household where I was just stuck with my family. So it was just me, my mom, my dad, and my sister. Ever since kindergarten until high school, that was my life. During my high school life, I wasn’t in a group of friends. So I was usually alone. I was always in this realm every day, and I got to imagine different things when I listened to music. It’s a bit weird, that’s why a lot of people—and I’m sure my friends and classmates from before—found me as this weird kid in school. I wasn’t too much out there. I wasn’t really becoming friends with people. I was always alone.”

The “weird kid” label could have crushed him. Instead, it sharpened his gift. What once felt like loneliness became the ground where his songs took root. And from there, the world slowly began to listen.

At some point in our sit down interview for GMA Integrated News Interviews, I found myself fan-boying. I admitted to him how I get smitten by his music, and how I often wonder how someone so young could pour such raw hurt into a song. He only smiled, almost shyly, as if those words still surprised him.

Today, Zack stands alongside fellow coaches Julie Anne San Jose, Billy Crawford, and Paolo and Miguel Guico of Ben and Ben. Together, they are shaping the next generation of voices. And for Zack, that means standing as proof that setbacks can turn into triumphs. He is no longer the boy eliminated in round two. He is the man who turned solitude into music, who turned pain into anthems, and who now guides young dreamers so they do not give up too soon.

Beyond the lights and the stage, Zack’s happiness has also found its anchor.

The heartbreaks may have written his past songs, but love now fills his present. And with a full heart, Zack steps into this new chapter. From the kid who once walked alone in school corridors, to the artist filling arenas with music, to the coach guiding young voices, his story is proof that God’s timing is never wrong. Sometimes, it really does come full circle.

“Right now po, I’m in a very healthy relationship with my girlfriend, Abigail. We’re almost running two years. That’s why I’ve written all these songs about heartbreaks and all the failures of love through the past years.” — LA, GMA Integrated News