By Michael Kelley
Photo courtesy of Carrie Alford with Hill City Ministries
On October 12, a Christian band from Florida, City on a Hill, performed in the Kirby Gym at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ Fields of Faith 2011. The band featured a familiar face that was free from its usual helmet: Lafayette Football’s defensive lineman Andrew Holmes ‘12.
Holmes, from Coral Springs, Fla., is one of the nine members of a family band that Tiffany and her husband, Kenneth, started in 2004.
Tiffany is the lead vocalist and Carrie Alford, his other older sister, is the manager and responsible for “kicking the chaos out.” His two brother-in-laws also play a role in the band and are responsible for the media and technological aspects, including recording, photography, album cover design and music video production. Holmes is responsible for the reggae singing in the songs.
“As a football player, singing obviously is not the manly, macho-type thing to do,” Holmes said.
Holmes has been singing since early childhood when he and his sister, Tiffany Millinder, would goof off trying to hit the highest note. “As I got older, my voice kept developing along with my passion for music,” he said.
Even Holmes’ mother is involved in the band. When the group performs away from home, she takes care of the band members’ kids.
“It is a full family effort,” Holmes said.
The inspiration for the band comes from the family’s involvement in the Abundant Life Christian Centre, located in Margate, Fla. The band is an outlet to advance their Christian faith.
At first, for Holmes, singing was just a small hobby. Things became serious when he realized his true passions. “The most important thing in life is my relationship with God,” Holmes said. “Once music started becoming a connection to further my relationship with God, everything started to mesh.”
According to Holmes, the music of the band is not targeted to specific groups but brings a lot of light down to south Florida, especially among the Christian realm.
Music has clearly always been a significant part of Holmes’ life, but these days it matters even more.
In a recent game for the Leopards, Holmes suffered an injury that he initially thought he could recover from in a week. When Holmes visited his doctor, though, he was informed that the damage was a torn pectoral muscle, meaning his season—and possibly career—was over.
“When I found out the seriousness of my injury, it was a major reality check,” Holmes said. “Music helped me realize my purpose and now I know that not having football does not affect my purpose.”
Holmes has been granted a redshirt season, meaning he is eligible to be enrolled for an additional fifth year and remain on the football team. No decision has been made as of yet. “If I decide to not take the offer, I will graduate and move back home to further my music career and potentially work for the Department of Homeland Security,” Holmes said.
Whatever Holmes decides to do, he is sure that music will always be there, further connecting him to God. Music from City on a Hill can be found on iTunes, Amazon and tiffanymillander.com.
