Macon Magazine

44 maconmagazine.com | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 In 2013, Macon Magazine spoke to Amy Schwartz Moretti and Steve Moretti about their lives since coming to Macon and what they looked forward to. Here's another look eight years on. A my Schwartz Moretti and Steve Moretti are world- class, Macon-based musicians who moved here from Portland, Oregon, in 2006. Amy is a distinguished violinist who was appointed to direct Mercer University's Robert McDuffie Center for Strings. She holds the Caroline Paul King Chair in Strings and regularly performs internationally as a solo artist, with orchestras and in chamber groups. Steve is a Grammy-nominated drummer-percussionist who travels and performs extensively and is an in-demand recording engineer and producer. He is also co-founder and president of the Macon Pops. As a couple and as individuals, they've advanced not only their professional endeavors but the cultural life of Macon and Central Georgia for the past 15 years. "We were confident when we came – but there were unknowns," Steve said. "We're both amazed now at what's happened and it's surreal thinking we've had an impact on a place with such an incredible musical history as Macon. We wanted to be part of making new musical history here and, along with a lot of others, I think we have." COPING WITH COVID-19 Along with musicians around the world, the Morettis faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with its spikes, lulls and closures of concerts. "Having live music in Macon or anywhere has been such a rarity during COVID," Amy said. "Opportunities for our McDuffie Center students to play in the community at concerts, weddings and other events dropped to almost nothing and recitals had to be performed online. But I'm glad to say the center was still able to bring high-caliber guest performers to Macon and safely present our Fabian Concert Series in 2020 and early 2021. Plans look good for this year and, thankfully, as the new school year began, we started getting calls for students to play at their unusual engagements. We expect recitals to be live, too. We have really amazing musical opportunities for them and for the community coming up." Amy said due to COVID-19, last year's student numbers dropped, but this year the center is at full capacity with 26 students enrolled, each receiving full-tuition scholarships. In addition to directing the center and teaching violin, Amy maintains a busy travel performance schedule. However, her husband's travel surpasses hers with him flying an average of 120,000 miles annually. But COVID-19 halted that. He said engagements picked up as summer approached but lightened again as COVID's Delta variant spiked. "Fortunately, during the worst of 2020, I started getting a lot of work in my home studio," he said. "Macon Pops had to cancel most of what we normally do, but I played drums on a lot of recording sessions alone in my studio with tracks then edited-in with other musicians. My work as a producer and engineer really expanded during COVID and I helped other people put concerts online. I think everyone has had a big learning curve this past year." Making only limited seating available in Mercer's spacious Hawkins Arena, Macon Pops opened their ninth season in August to good attendance. 'WE'RE BOTH AMAZED NOW AT WHAT'S HAPPENED AND IT'S SURREAL THINKING WE'VE HAD AN IMPACT ON A PLACE WITH SUCH AN INCREDIBLE MUSICAL HISTORY AS MACON.' — STEVE MORETTI

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