Macon Magazine

42 maconmagazine.com | APRIL/MAY 2022 W hen slots fill each year for the Otis Redding Foundation's music camps, lessons and other programs, there are cries from un-signed parents and students, "Can't you take just one more?" Due to space — not lack of desire — the answer eventually has to be, "Sorry, we're just out of room." But that is changing. In March, the foundation announced plans to create a 9,000-square-foot Otis Redding Center for the Arts in downtown Macon at the corner of Cotton Avenue and Cherry Street. It will be located just a block south of the foundation's current, much smaller 339 Cotton Ave. museum, office and student lesson center. Officials said the move means an 800-percent increase in room to serve more participants with better facilities at Otis Music Camps for older kids, Dream Camps for younger ones, music lessons and music industry-related courses and programs related to creative arts. The new facility adds more and better instructional and performance areas, modern labs, practice rooms, songwriting and recording studio spaces and other spots to encourage and educate coming generations of musicians. The goal is to not only help participants hone entertainment skills but to achieve their best in school and become engaged, community-minded citizens. Plans also include building a corner amphitheater for student performances and as a fitting new home for Macon's iconic Otis Redding statue. Redding's widow, Zelma Redding, created the Otis Redding Foundation in 2007 to carry on her husband's philanthropic passion. As his musical fame grew, Redding become known for providing scholarships to deserving college and university hopefuls and had invited 300 Bibb County school children to the first-ever Otis Camp at his "Big O Ranch" north of Macon. His plans were that it not be the last. "This is something we've been working on based on the vision my father had with that first music camp in 1966," DREAM BIGGER OTIS REDDING FOUNDATION TO BUILD NEW CENTER AND EXPAND ACCESS TO COUNTLESS CHILDREN BY MICHAEL W. PANNELL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATT ODOM said Karla Redding-Andrews, Redding's daughter who was 5 years old in 1967 when he died. Redding-Andrews serves, non-salaried, as the foundation's vice president and executive director while her mother, Zelma Redding, is the organization's non-salaried president and founder. "He invited the kids out to learn about music and the music business and to stress to them the importance of education," Redding-Andrews said. "He planned to continue camps, and if he'd lived I'm sure there would already be an arts center like this here and probably others around the U.S. and world. We're just following his love for kids and desire to help them and give back to the community." ROOM TO GROW The current Cotton Avenue site was originally part of Redding-Andrews' shoe and clothing store operations. When she closed the business and the foundation was officially begun, the property became the foundation's home. There is only modest room for on-site student lessons and it's far too small to host the typical 50 to 60 enrollees at camps. Hosting camps elsewhere, the foundation's first camp was at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and more recently on the 'MY FATHER'S MUSICAL LEGACY IS WELL ESTABLISHED, SOLID AND DOESN'T REALLY NEED OUR HELP. IT WILL LAST FOREVER. WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS EXTENDING THAT PART OF HIM THAT WANTED TO HELP KIDS WHO HAVE DREAMS, LIKE HE HAD DREAMS, TO BECOME EQUIPPED TO ACHIEVE THEM.' — KARLA REDDING-ANDREWS

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