ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT LUIS HAZA
M
usic fills life in Isles
Luis Haza has only been a resident of the Golden Isles for a few years, but he’s certainly made an impact. With a resume that includes the National Symphony Orchestra and global performances, he has brought an international musical repertoire to Coastal Georgia. Haza has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra, been music director of the Virginia Chamber Orchestra and served for 25 years as conductor of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra at Annandale, Va. He was first-chair violin with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., for 36 years. Since moving to St. Simons Island and becoming conductor of the Coastal Youth Symphony in 2010, he has been sharing this wealth of knowledge with young musicians. The youth symphony now has 60 student members, and support behind the scenes has also expanded.
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“We have now a much larger board of directors – when I first started it was two or three people – now it’s over 20 people,” Haza said. “The orchestra itself has become of the caliber that is able to perform the classical works that they should be able to perform. They have developed immeasurably,” he said. Haza has found his own rhythm, settling into a coastal Georgia groove. “This area – the coastal region – for me, it’s my favorite place in the entire nation. After I retired from Washington, from the National Symphony Orchestra, my wife and I looked all over the country, but our heart was already here. We got married at the lighthouse here,” he said. “I find it to be the most beautiful place in the country, and the people in this community are just outstanding. “One aspect that I love very much, generally speaking, the people here love being Americans. And I do too. I feel as American as apple pie.” – Lindsey Adkison
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT JESSICA HOLLOWAY
and sets the rhythms of life
It’s never hard to find Jessica Holloway. Just follow the music. The songstress and keyboard player can often be found belting out rock ’n’ roll greats with her band, Soul Gravy. Holloway is no fly-by-night performer. It’s something she’s been working at for decades. She was just 4 years old when she started performing in church plays and school programs. Then, when she was 7, she started playing the piano. Since childhood, the singing siren has moved to the keyboard. But her love of music has only intensified. “I was raised singing in church, on top of the fact I was a ‘PK’ – pastor’s kid. That being said, we were always being watched by everyone. Good, bad or indifferent, anything I did got reported back to my dad,” she said. “Therefore, I learned to be an open book. Performing songs that I have written in front of strangers who will either like it or not is a lot less nerve-racking to me, because, frankly, I’m used to the scrutiny.” Today, she’s always happy to stand in the
spotlight – mostly because she’s not doing it alone. Soul Gravy includes other members — Will Gore, Scott Bachman, Dan Vashaw and, occasionally, Jeff Montaigne on percussion. Holloway says the guys have become a surrogate family. “I love performing with Soul Gravy, because it is every beat of my heart,” she said. “I wake up in the morning thinking about Gravy and go to bed thinking about Gravy. “We are getting to a point where we just know. There are moments on the stage where something magical happens, and we all just look at each other and smile. I love it. There is a cosmic energy that I have never felt with any group of people before.” The band has taken the magic into the studio and is working on its first CD. Holloway says it’s been a labor of love. “We are finishing up our fourth song for our CD. We have about four more songs we want to lay down before we consider our options on how we want it circulated,” she said. “We want everything done right.” — Lindsey Adkison The Brunswick News / Saturday, March 23, 2013 53