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PAGE 12A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 25. 2021
Shooting, the Breeze
Savannah Hughes talks music, future plans, and motorcycles
By Angela Reinhardt
Staff Writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Savannah Hughes went
from being a shy child to a
guitarist and lead singer in
the band Eclipse, which has
kept her busy playing live
shows on top of the demands
of school. This Pickens High
senior started playing guitar
at 10 and credits her music
and music school for giving
her confidence in other areas
of life.
You’ve lived in Pickens
County since you were a
young girl. It’s common to
hear people complain about
there not being anything for
kids to do around here.
What are your thoughts
about growing up in Pick
ens?
My brother and I were in
volved in some rec sports in
Jasper when we were young.
But growing up, we mostly
went to Gumming to get out
of the house. Both of my par
ents, Alicia and Kenny
Hughes, work in Forsyth and
I do now, as well. I think
growing up in a rural area is
really special as a kid be
cause I was never inside. I
got to experience the more
country lifestyle but never
the conveniences of being 10
minutes away from anything,
which I think has really
helped my patience. I don't
think I would appreciate na
ture as much as I do if I lived
anywhere else.
You’ve performed a lot of
gigs over the past few years.
What was your favorite,
most memorable perform
ance? Where are your fa
vorite places to play?
My most memorable per
formance was playing my
last gig with the showcase
band I was in, Eclipse. On
New Year's Eve 2020 I
played my last set with
[them]. I held back tears as
we finished out “Mr. Bright-
side” by the Killers, but it
was so fun and bittersweet.
My favorite place to play was
always the Gumming Fair.
We would have such a good
crowd and then after we
would go ride the rides and
eat some fried food. My fa
vorite time of the year.
The PHS student has been playing guitar since elemen
tary school, and has no plans to quit after graduation.
photos / Music Authority
Savannah Hughes at her workplace, a music school and
store in Forsyth. Among her duties, Hughes is learning to
repair guitars. She also took lessons at the school for many
years and performed in their gigging bands for students.
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Who are your musical in
fluences?
First and foremost, my
dad is the reason I really got
into music. Every car ride
was a giant duet session be
tween the both of us. So I
sang and played the alto sax
in the school band because of
him. Secondly, I love Mi
randa Lambert. I am not a
huge country fan but I just
love her material. Lastly, my
guitar instructor Andrew
Loggins has been the biggest
influencer in my musical
growth.
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You started playing at 10.
How old were you when you
started to feel like you made
real progress and were hav
ing fun with guitar?
I was always a really, re
ally quiet kid. When I got to
[my music school] the Music
Authority, I had been taking
lessons for about two years or
so when one of the owners,
Melissa Loggins, asked me to
be a fill-in guitarist for one of
their showcase bands, Rise.
That was the point I was
forced to come out of my
shell. I always say this was
the most influential time
learning music because I was
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constantly surrounded by ex
tremely talented players. It is
good to be with people who
are better than you because it
gives you something to work
towards. At that point, I
played a lot of gigs with them
and my own band outside of
Music Authority. As a 7th
grader, playing that many
gigs was pretty stressful but I
got to perform on stage with
some pretty decent-sized
crowds, so it was worth it.
For years you have been
involved with your music
school in Cumming. Now
you work there. Can you talk
about what it has been like
to be a part of that musical
community?
Music Authority is the
reason I am where I am and
why I do what I do. Not only
did I develop as a musician
but I grow exponentially in
my professional communica
tion skills. That is something
I think school lacks. I do
work there now in instrument
sales and repair, which has
been really exciting. Andrew
Loggins has been showing
me the ropes in repairing gui
tars for a couple of years now
and I love it. I also accom
pany them to the yearly sum
mer show in Nashville
(pre-COVID) and we trav
eled to California two years
ago for the winter show. I am
just incredibly thankfid for
all of the opportunities I have
been given through [them].
How has music and per
forming live impacted you
and helped you in other as
pects of your life?
Music has taught me so
much beyond notes, like
time-management and com
munication skills. As a mid
dle schooler, I was terrified to
talk to strangers and have to
meet new people. However,
when I joined Rise and had to
talk to people coming up to
me after performances or
work with this new group of
musicians I was intimidated
by, I had no other choice but
to start developing those
skills. I had force myself to
move on stage because I was
so scared to look up from my
guitar in the beginning. Now
I can't not move on stage and
I love performing and meet
ing the crowd afterwards.
There’s this idea that to
be a musician a person has
to have natural talent. Do
you agree with this, or be
lieve that anyone can de
velop skills with practice?
I fully believe that you do
not need to have some natu
ral inclination towards some
thing to be good at it. I think
you just have to be dedicated
enough to practice and appre
ciate the process, because
that is where a lot of people
give up. It has taken a long
time and a lot of practice for
me to get where I am and I
am still learning.
What have been your
strategies for juggling
school and being a busy mu
sician?
I have had to miss out on
a handful of things, like
school trips or Friday night
games. Going into high
school I thought I would be
able to do everything I did
with music and add marching
band onto that so I coidd be
with my school friends.
However, I would have never
been able to make that work,
so I just support them on the
sidelines when I can. I just
have to set my priorities
straight and be sure I have
my school work and practic
ing done on time. I had to re
mind myself when I missed
out on something that what
I'm doing is pretty cool and
learned to appreciate it.
After you graduate high
school this year you ’re off to
University of North Georgia
to study business adminis
tration. What are your ca
reer aspirations?
I hope to own my busi
ness. The dream is to have
my own coffee shop or health
food cafe that doubles as a
small music venue, but I will
go wherever life takes me.
Do you have any other
hobbies? What do you do for
fun?
I really like to workout
and invest in my health. I
also love to travel, so hope
fully the pandemic thing is
not forever. I recently just
passed my motorcycle skills
test as well so that is my next
adventure.
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