ALUMNI PERFORMERS
Holden Jaffe ’12
DEL WATER GAP You might have seen Del Water Gap perform on Late Night with Seth Myers last year. Or, this spring you might have been humming along to a Del Water Gap song while watching A Good Person, a Zach Braff film with Florence Pugh and Morgan Freeman. If you’re fortunate, perhaps you’ve seen Del Water Gap perform in person—on tour with Maggie Rogers, at Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, or in a more intimate performance in Los Angeles, New York City, or any place music lovers gather. What you might not have realized is that Holden Jaffe, Millbrook Class of 2012, is the creative genius and talent behind Del Water Gap.
Early Inspirations While Holden dabbled on the drums and taught himself some basic guitar chords when he was younger, he credits his high school girlfriend, Estrella, for inspiring his growing interest in songwriting and guitar playing early in his Millbrook
in New York around a community of likeminded artists was inspiring, as were his college friends who pushed him outside of his comfort zone. Holden’s confidence increased as he began to play shows in and around the city, and he realized he had a lot to say through his music.
career. Entering NYU Tisch School of the
“I always wanted to perform—I just didn’t
Arts in the fall of 2012, Holden initially
feel quite worthy. But your community
considered a focus on music production
can be a mirror, and you can get to know
rather than performance, but a variety of
yourself better as you start to know
factors influenced a change of heart. Being
yourself in the context of other creators.”
SUMMER 2023 •
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