Howard County Youth Orchestra Performs Alongside Grammy-Nominated Group In Special Concert

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — A special live concert recently held at the Merriweather Post Pavilion featured three-time Grammy nominated Tank and the Bangas performing alongside the Howard County Youth Orchestra. TATB is a funk, soul and hip-hop musical group out of New Orleans.

The Howard County Youth Orchestra includes students ages 14-18 from all 13 Howard County high schools and has been recognized as one of the premier youth orchestras in the Mid-Atlantic region. Jacob Sorber, a 12th grader at Hammond High School, plays electric guitar and as a member of the youth orchestra, was asked to move up near Tank for the remainder of the concert.

More than 2,000 people attended the concert. There were at least 50 Howard County Public School System students on stage performing, between the youth orchestra and the gospel choir.

"This was the first time Tank and the Bangas performed with a youth orchestra and they were inspired by the talent of the students," Ian Kennedy, executive director for the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center, told Patch. “The turnout for Tank and the Bangas, Howard County Youth Orchestra, Austin Antoine and All County Gospel Choir was unbelievable. MACC has been putting on these shows for the last several years and the outcomes are always amazing, energizing and inspiring. These shows emulate what this community is about and seeing some amazing and talented musicians and singers from our local schools crush it on Maryland's biggest stage reminds me how lucky I am to have moments like these.”

The opening act also featured Austin Antoine, a graduate of Reservoir High School, who performed with select members of the Howard County All County Gospel Choir. Antoine visited his alma mater and other Howard County schools while in the area to perform and discuss his music career with current high schoolers. Antoine describes himself as a performance artist who blends music and poetry. He currently serves as the head of the music department at the Los Angeles-based nonprofit Get Lit.

“It is extremely exciting for current and former students to be featured as part of this performance,” said William J. Barnes, acting superintendent of schools for Howard County. “We are so fortunate in Howard County to have a venue like the Merriweather Arts and Culture Center that is able to bring in world-renowned artists while also uplifting the talents of our children and I am grateful for this wonderful partnership.”

Colin O’Bryan, orchestra director for HCPSS, said that putting the young musicians on the biggest stage to perform with professional artists is the opportunity of a lifetime.

"These concerts always come back to the same core principals. How can we, the stakeholders and partners, create experiences that raise the already exceptional bar set by our school music programs. Putting these young musicians on the biggest stage, in front of a passionate audience, to perform with professional artists, these are things typically reserved for professionals. Musicians with a lifetime of experience and training. What we continue to show, is that these Howard County students belong in that space, too. They deserve that experience. The comment that keeps getting said by the artists is, 'These kids play like professionals, but that's the beauty of this whole thing. They aren't," O'Bryan told Patch. "They approach these experiences with the awe, enthusiasm and excitement of young musicians. It’s an unbelievably powerful thing."

Tarriona “Tank” Ball, lead singer for Tank and the Bangas, said she appreciated being part of the experience because she'll "be part of the students' lives forever in a very special way."

“I would just encourage the students that while you're in your studies to make sure that you have your time alone to develop your own voice and your own ear, for what you want to hear and not just what somebody wants you to play. That creates a future of music to learn and music to make," Ball said.

During the last song, Tank asked the production to turn the house lights off and the audience to turn on their phone lights on.

“When they put out those lights, it was one of my best moments in my life and I have a lot of great moments in my life. So, to put that up there because I've never seen it that big and then I just knew that it was so special for me, and I know the kids are getting this," Tank said.