We had the good fortune of connecting with Glenn Holdaway and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Glenn, can you share the most important lesson you’ve learned over the course of your career?
The most important lesson my music career has taught me is that talent and success have very little to do with one another. There are so many talented people out there who for one reason or another, never seem to make it in this industry. Here are 5 traits that I believe contribute far more to a musician’s “success” than talent does.

1. Networking abilities & social skills
2. Being extremely dependable and consistent (musically and temperamentally)
3. Always playing your “role” in the band and serving the song rather than serving yourself
4. Being willing to do favors for other musicians and play for free/discount when necessary
5. Don’t be afraid to take risks or approach musicians who seem “out of your league”

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Today I am mostly known as a horn-section player, but I am hoping that someday I will be a frontman. I’d like to be able to showcase myself more as an artist than as a sideman. Writing horn parts and playing in a section feels very familiar and safe to me; becoming a frontman requires stepping out of my comfort zone. Hopefully I will look back at this interview years later and laugh at this, but it is very scary for me to put myself out there when it comes to writing original music. But I have faith that if I stick with it, it will get easier and more comfortable.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Favorite local places for live music (Pre-COVID 19):

-Fully Fullwood’s LIVE Reggae Sunday’s @ Golden Sails in Long Beach
-The Dubclub @ Echoplex Wednesday nights
-Detour Posse @ The Lighthouse Wednesday nights
-Tha Juice Joint @ The Study Monday nights
-All Star Jam Session @ Harvelles Santa Monica Monday Nights
-Jazz Eclectic @ Sofitel Monday nights
-Dream Collective @ Lock & Key 2nd and 4th Tuesdays
-diPiazzas, Long Beach
Favorite places to eat:
-In N Out
-Great Mex, Long Beach
-Simone’s, Long Beach
-Natraliart Jamaican Restaurant, Arlington Heights
-Nick’s Deli, Seal Beach
-Ackee Bamboo Jamaican Cuisine, Leimert Park
-Any taco truck that looks bomb

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d love to give a shoutout to my two biggest mentors in my musical career: Fully Fullwood and Jahgun. My life would not be the same if I had not met these two. I’d also love to shoutout Barry Cogert and Albert Alva from The Jazz Angels. They taught me how to improvise and I doubt I would still be playing music today if it weren’t for them.

Website: www.glennholdaway.com

Image Credits
Sean McCracken, Alicia Hauff, Keith Zacharski, Sherry Edwards, Betzi Learning, and Colin Worrel