Friends Dustin Holder and Ben Hobbs are teaming up for the noon Friday "Concert in the Gardens" performance in Tifton Gardens. 

The free concerts are sponsored by The Tifton Gazette and Main Street Tifton.

It’s Holder’s second appearance in the concert series. Back in 2004, he performed one of the concerts with the band Radar Jones, who played classic rock staples from artists such as Eric Clapton, Led Zeppelin and the Beatles as well as the Georgia-based Black Crowes. He also played at one time with Little Brown Peach out of Valdosta.

Holder, who will play piano and keyboard Friday, will be joined by his friend Hobbs on percussion. The duo will perform “low-key” music such as that performed by such artists as John Mayer and K.T. Tunstall-- “Nothing too hard and nothing too soft,” Holder said.

“I love every kind of music.”

Holder said Hobbs, who recently moved back to Tifton after being in Nashville, Tenn., have never played together.

“He is a good friend of mine and an incredible musician,” Holder said of Hobbs. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Holder has worked as a real estate agent with Century 21 Smith, Branch and Pope for over a year. In his spare time, he’s working on recording an album and plans to move to Atlanta in the summer to pursue a career in music.

“I plan to sing in Atlanta every chance I get,” Holder said. “Any chance you get to get exposure is good. You get more confident every time.”

The musician also hopes his Atlanta experience will teach him something about the business aspects of the music industry.

Carolyn Tawzer, Holder’s grandmother and a pianist, and his mother, Rhonda Hill, a vocalist, influenced his love for music. Holder said he got his start singing at church and then when he was a senior at Tift County High School, he joined the show choir.

The free, noontime concerts continue downtown through May.

To contact senior reporter Angie Thompson, call 382-4321.