Amadeus rocks Carson High for breakfast

A silver platter bearing red tea lights and broken pieces of instruments, part of a temporary altar honoring the late Eagle Valley Middle and Carson High School band director Larry Holloway, symbolized both the mourning of his passing and the vital spark of musical celebration that his life has continued to inspire.

Saturday's "Breakfast with Mozart," a fund-raiser for the Larry Holloway Scholarship Foundation drew more than 100 people to sky-lit Senator Square to support the effort to help local students continue their musical careers after high school.

A silent auction featured sundries of a diverse palette ranging from a basket of Larry Holloway's favorite wines to Harry Potter writing paper. Generous bids for the items showed that the support and love for the former teacher was more than just lip service.

Holloway's son Jon, who sits on the foundation's committee, said they try to help as many students as possible.

More than $4,000 was raised last year and five students were assisted with college tuition, he said.

Kristen Whitmore, a former student of Holloway's and current freshman at University of Nevada, Reno said Holloway was "her favorite person" at high school.

"He was not only your teacher, but your best friend," she said.

Retired music teacher and former concert pianist, Jackie Maye, who hosted the breakfast and delivered a concerto as her alter-ego, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, remembered Holloway fondly.

After taking a moment of silence for "all the difficult things happening in the world today," Maye channeled Mozart with a deft demonstration of the 3rd movement from his 7th Sonata then delivered some comic relief to the audience.

Wearing her son's old ruffled bib under a long performance coat and white stockings, Maye's routine falls somewhere on the entertainment map between "Def Comedy Jam" and "Mr. Holland's Opus," half serious, half comic and wholly unique.

Maye showed her skill of combining breakfast with music by riffing on "The Muffin Man" until it evolved into a catchy piece of jazz phrasing.

After Maye played blindfolded, UNR clarinetist and former Holloway student Alyssa English joined her for a duet.

"It was obvious how much he truly cared about his students," she said afterward.

And much how his students truly cared about him.

Contact reporter Peter Thompson at pthompson@ nevadaappeal.com or 881-1215.