By: Hannah Elizabeth • Caddo Magnet High • Contributing Columnist
When I was asked to interview Mr. Brent Havens, writer, conductor and arranger, and Mr. Randy Jackson, lead vocalist for Zebra, on the upcoming Led Zeppelin show featuring the amazing Shreveport Symphony , I felt it was an honor. I have loved music my entire life, and receiving this opportunity has been exciting. I was extremely nervous because not only was this my first time conducting an interview, but I would be conducting two interviews.
My first Interview was with Brent Havens, and when asked if he was excited to perform in Shreveport again, he said how excited he was and how much he loves Shreveport. The last time they were here was in January of 2020, and they brought us the music of Queen. We delved into how he has been writing, arranging and conducting music for 25 years, not only for bands, but for major networks such as ABC, CBS and ESPN. He explained how satisfying it is to perform and make people happy.
He also explained how choosing a lead singer was not difficult because he had Randy Jackson in mind, and he was familiar with Mr. Jackson's voice and knew he was a great fit for lead vocalist.
As we all know, the Shreveport Symphony is an amazing orchestra, and Mr. Havens knows that as well. He explained how it is important that the music of Led Zeppelin is accompanied by an orchestra because of the differences between Led Zeppelin and their music. It’s a show for all ages because younger generations tend to gravitate toward shows like Queen and Led Zeppelin, while older crowds go for a more classical and calming performance. A mix of both is a perfect way to bring those two generations into one room to enjoy. Mr. Havens stated that he has traveled across the world with his company, Windborne, from Malaysia, Southeast Asia, Europe, and to Canada, and, of course, the United States, and each audience has a shared love of music and Led Zeppelin.
To begin my next interview with Mr. Randy Jackson, I decided to ask him what he wanted to be when he was a kid as an icebreaker. Jokingly, he stated probably hunt for dinosaurs or become an astronaut, but that he discovered his love for music when his parents took him to see The Beatles in concert. Although he is from New Orleans, he found that the type of music he enjoyed and that had more influence on him were those of English rock bands from the ’60s and ’70s, and that his band, Zebra, has their own style.
This will not be Mr. Jackson’s first time visiting Shreveport nor is it the first time performing the music of Led Zeppelin and that his band, Zebra, has played here a number of times in the past. We talked about his love of Led Zeppelin, and he expressed “being able to perform their music with an orchestra is phenomenal, and the charts that have been written for it are really, very good, and Led Zeppelin lends itself to being an orchestra which works.”
Mr. Jackson has been the lead vocalist for this performance since 1996, and when asked if he has ever met them, he stated when he was 17 years old he met them at a party that he and his friends crashed in New Orleans. His love of Led Zeppelin comes “from the variety that their music provides; it isn’t all mellow and it’s not all heavy, and you get to explore a bunch of moods with their music.”
Mr. Jackson’s favorite song of Led Zeppelin’s song to perform is “Since I’ve Been Loving You” because it takes up the whole range of his voice, and it’s blue. He laughed because he was shocked to find out that it is also one of Mr. Havens’ favorite songs; he said that it was wild.
Although there were a few more questions that I asked Mr. Jackson, the final question I asked in hopes that it will help others who share the same love of music and who dreams of being a performer was, “What advice would you give an up-and-coming performer/musician about the importance of knowing and understanding their craft?”
He stated the first bit of advice is to “try to be as versatile as you can. For example, if you are a keyboard player or guitar player, and you’re planning to go get a gig, make sure you can sing a little bit, too, because a lot of times that will be the difference between getting a gig and not getting a gig.” A lot of people want someone who can do more than play the instrument that they are wanting to do. The most successful guys he knows are really proficient on a lot of different instruments.
As far as bands, “when you get together, stay together for at least three to four years. Stay together; do not break up. People like to see the same group together, and once you start getting along with people, don’t ruin that; that’s the most important thing about a group and making a name for yourself.”