Sara Mazanec is an Otis Redding Foundation All-Star. Although just 17 years old, she has been writing songs for some years now. Still, something was missing. Mazanec credits the Otis Redding Music Camp, which she began attending a few years ago, with helping her find a community, discover her voice and gain the confidence to grow as an artist.
“I had liked music before, but now music is my life, and it is what I wanna do, and I’m just so inspired by this place and the people in it,” said Mazanec.
The camp is a program of the Otis Redding Center for the Arts (ORCA) and it’s been transforming the lives of children and teens across Central Georgia and beyond through music and arts education.
The center bears the name of the legendary soul singer, Otis Redding. ORCA carries Redding’s legacy and philanthropic efforts before his untimely death in 1967. Awarded Grammy Awards posthumously, Redding was a singer, songwriter and producer that hailed from Dawson, Georgia. His powerful, gritty voice helped define a southern sound of soul music.
In December 1967, a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin, claimed the lives of Redding, four members of his band, The Bar-Kays, and the pilot. At the time, Redding was 26 and was considered a rising soul music superstar in the United States. Just days before the crash, Redding recorded what would become one of his most beloved songs, “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay.”
Redding’s interests extended beyond music. Before his passing, Redding’s family said he was awarding scholarships to students pursuing higher education.
Fast forward to decades later, what began as a music summer camp in his honor has grown into a year-round music and arts education program serving hundreds of students. Before ORCA was officially established and opened in March 2025, the Otis Redding Foundation partnered with Mercer University, the Bibb County School District and other community organizations to provide music education opportunities for area students.
“So, you know, we started with our first Otis Music Camp in 2008 with seven kids at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame,” said Karla Redding-Andrews, executive director of the Otis Redding Foundation. “We knew that we wanted to do a program for young people that promoted music and arts education. So, we started here with seven kids in 2008. Here we are now with over 800 kids we’ve served in the year that we’ve been in this new space.”
Redding’s widow, Zelma Redding, the founder of the Otis Redding Foundation, said his music remains relevant across generations, adding that it’s a joy to see youth inspired by his body of work.
“When you listen to Otis Redding’s songs, some of it creates that power to young people as well as old, to me,” she explained during an interview with “Closer Look with Rose Scott producer LaShawn Hudson, who recently visited ORCA as the creative musical hub celebrated its first anniversary.
The Macon-Georgia-based center was designed specifically for children ages 5 to 18. The two-story building features vibrant learning spaces, interactive technology, a sensory room, an amphitheater, seven creative labs and five private lesson rooms. It is also home to the O3 Recording Studio, named in honor of Redding’s son, Otis Redding III, who died in April 2023.
At the center, in addition to learning about Redding’s legacy, students study all aspects of musical production, including hands-on songwriting, musical performance training and education about the business side of the music industry. Otis Redding Music Camp and Camp Dream are the center’s two signature summer programs. The center also offers a variety programs, workshops and private lessons throughout the year. “We’ve got about 25 different programs that we do year-round,” said Redding-Andrews.
Foundation leaders said the programming is about more than teaching music. Research from Merit School of Music shows that students who study music earn better grades, have stronger literacy skills and are more likely to graduate from high school.
The center currently operates on an $800,000 yearly budget. The Redding family hopes to expand ORCA’s reach and impact in the years to come by offering more programming and welcoming more children into its facility.
It’s a dream come true for Zelma. She said she’s proud of what her family has built and believes her husband would be as well.
“He left too much for me to just pass it up,” she said. “So, I work hard in teaching my daughter and teaching my grandson and my family, and we do good.”
