Adam Decker has created a musical experience unlike any other you will hear.

Decker grew up in Central New York, participating in various musical groups in his youth, including choirs, church choirs, musicals, and a Madrigal Group in Cortland. Decker attended college at SUNY Cortland, as a musical theatre major, and then attended Ithaca College as a musical education and vocal performance major. 

Decker has played in a variety of different kinds of bands and vocal groups in his professional career, including as a solo artist, acapella groups, wedding bands, and trios. In these groups Decker has performed a slew of different genres of music.

“[My favorite music to perform is] Frank Sinatra, Otis Redding, Bill Withers. I like what my band is doing, because we're kinda all over the map,” Decker said. 

Like the music he performs, he also enjoys listening to a wide variety of genres and artists.

“[I like] Electronic, vocal house, heavy house, metal, really calm and space dreamy atmospheric almost meditation music.” 

Decker performs in many different settings, such as private events, public shows, music competitions, and weddings. His bands do things differently than other musicians that are enhancing other’s experience while listening to them perform.

“A lot of bands locally start setting an hour before the show, we do 90 minutes, it helps me to keep my mind open.”

Decker’s career started like many other aspiring musicians. But, it was while attending Ithaca College that Decker’s career in music began to take off. In 2005, while he was a student at Ithaca College, he was given the opportunity to be a part of the college’s acapella group called Sons of Pitches. Eventually, the group was rebranded to the Fault Line, with Decker serving as the leader of the group. 

“Acapella was great, I love it, it’s such a niche, because you're creating everything yourself,” he said. 

While in college, Decker learned that music was what he wanted to pursue as a career.

“I would say that the collegiately things that I was in helped square up where I was at. It was able to help me understand how to work with people and be patient with people. I found the crew that made the most sense for me.”

He also learned a lot about working with a group of musicians in college and early in his career. 

“Working in a group might not be the best that you want it to be, but understand what you can accomplish. Staying in your lane and finding your lane.”

The Fault Line was the spark of Decker’s music career. In 2007, the band had just finished up a night show, and drove through the night to audition to be on the 2nd Season of America’s Got Talent. 

America’s Got Talent was a huge success for the acapella group. They finished the show in the Top 20, and were able to travel across the country to perform on the show.

“It was random like winning the lottery, it was crazy that I was able to hit that lottery twice.”

The second time that Decker won the lottery was when he appeared on Season 11 of American Idol. 

“I found  a city that was near me, had the time, and tried out four times.”

In his fourth audition, he earned a Golden Ticket to Hollywood. Though his time on the show was not really televised, he was featured on the show singing “Jailhouse Rock” by Elvis Presley alongside three other contestants on the show. Decker ended his run on the show in the Top 40.

Around this time, Decker also began singing the National Anthem for a National Hockey League team, the Carolina Hurricanes, in 2012.

Prior to his time on American Idol, Decker moved to North Carolina, where he met his now wife, Mischa, and they began to grow their family. Decker now has two kids, Zaiden and Naia.

Balancing both a family and music has been one of the challenges of Decker’s career. 

“I’m lucky because Mischa has a job and we don’t have normal 9-5 jobs. We tag team a lot, Mischa is awesome as far as that goes.”

Decker also wants to use his career to provide more musical opportunities for his kids, now ages 9 and 11, and their community in Durham, North Carolina.

“I want to pave a local area for my kids musically.”

Decker has a lot of advice for anyone aspiring to be a musician based on his experiences in the music industry.

“Being kind, going with the flow, knowing there will always be unknowns, and giving yourself the time to have those play out, and adaptation.”

Decker’s career has only been increasing in success over the past few years. Following his time on American Idol, he was the leader of a band called Spaceship Days, where they earned Grammy consideration for a song titled “December.”

In 2017, Decker also joined a wedding band called the Love Tribe. Decker added that he hopes his music and performances at private events allows people to create a connection with him and his music.

“Hopefully a relationship, things like private weddings, I’m working with friends and family, and creating a relationship and experience that turns into a friendship.”

Another band he joined around this time, Transit, brought Decker and the rest of the band to the Semi-Finals of the Acapella Open at Carnegie Hall, where Decker received Outstanding Soloist. Decker said this was his favorite place he had ever performed at.

In 2017, Decker became the Resident National Anthem Singer for the Carolina Hurricanes. He currently still sings the National Anthem at their games, which Decker says is a highlight of his career.

“I think that acapella was the start to this career. I’m proud of reality television. But I do think the landing place is singing the anthem at the Canes, our family grew up loving hockey, it's cool to be a part of the NHL like that,” Decker said.

Though Decker’s career started as a member of an acapella group, he says that he would rather play with a band than singing acapella.

“With instruments there’s more time to rest and it gives a vocalist more space,” Decker said. “Use the tank longer in the evening, you can take a minute and recover.”

Another part of Decker’s career that is important to him is participating in charity events, such as for mental health awareness.

“I think the mental health stuff, there’s things that we as musicians can provide a platform or a bridge for people who are not involved or know what's going on,” Decker said. “I think mental health is hugely important. As a musician it's important to figure out what platforms you really care about.”

As Decker’s career continues to grow and develop, he wants more freedom to decide where and when he wants to play.

“It would be nice to pick and choose where I’m playing and how I'm playing. Playing more private gigs so the public gigs will be more crowded.”

A music career is giving Decker the freedom to live his life the way he wants to. His career took new heights because of taking risks, but if he could tell his younger self anything, it would be not to “razzle dazzle every single thing.”

“Learn as much music as you can, regardless if you like it or not,” Decker said. “Be nice to everyone because you don’t know if something will be an opportunity.”