By Jean Park
The music group Jacaranda, created by music teacher Mark Hilt, will perform “music at the edge of Santa Monica,” at an event called “Sacrifice” April 4 at the Presbyterian Church in Santa Monica.
As the music director of the church, Hilt had to make a decision for the performing arts series, which is how Jacaranda developed.
They decided to go for a “new name and a new focus,” Hilt said. The name comes from Jacaranda trees.
“You know the trees with the purple flowers in LA, the ones that mess up your car?” Hilt said as he laughed. “They are so beautiful and we want to duplicate that [beauty] with our concerts.”
Hilt also explained that the name Jacaranda is “devoid of any meaning” and has more to do with how it looks. Hilt explained that he liked the repetition of aâs and how all the letters are “above the line except for the j.”
Although Hilt is not a native Angelino, he explained that in the past, new music was very rare and with Jacaranda, “if the performances are committed,” Hilt said, “it becomes a different experience.”
Hilt said that the atmosphere of the concert is very intimate, which may be due to the church and to the fact that “the space is not like the average concert hall.”
“Jacaranda can take you to somewhere you have never been or even to places you are familiar with, but make it seem different,” Hilt said.
