B'more Bops

Meet Joint Operation!

When Josh Lewis was young, he was constantly inspired by The Beatles, Nirvana, and 90’s music. During his junior year of high school, he started listening to Sublime, encouraging him to start a cover band with his friends.

After their lead singer quit, Lewis took over and formed Joint Operation with other members he met through performing. During the beginning, Joint Operation mostly played Sublime covers, but gradually began writing their own original music.

Lewis writes the majority of the songs for Joint Operation. After finishing the lyrics, he collaborates with the other members, allowing them to work as a team. 

“I usually bring something to the band and we all dissect it. We change things we think should be changed. I like this a lot. It definitely takes the pressure of me, and it’s a cool and creative process,” Lewis said.

Joint Operation began their first tour in March of 2017. Lewis loves touring and enjoys having an outlet to share their music.

“We were playing house shows and stuff. We did a week or two long tour and just played in people’s basements for free. Some of the best stories I have are from those times. We had a 30 day tour, but it was cancelled due to COVID,” Lewis said.

Last year, Joint Operation sold out an entire venue at the 8x10 in Baltimore. This was a huge turning point for the band, since it was their first album release show.

“That was a really cool accomplishment,” Lewis said,  “I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. Recently, last week, our debut album hit 100,000 streams.” 

This week Joint Operation will be releasing a new single called, “In Due Time.”

“This song is about how much touring sucks. The four of us can all relate since we want to quit all the time,” Lewis said. “We also had a song called ‘Banish’ that came out in December. It was a young, angsty, 17 year old me who wrote it. That one was pretty emotional. Now we’re getting to the core of the deep stuff.”

The band was planning to play at Weekend at Wolfie’s and Hookahville over the summer, but unfortunately can't due to COVID-19. The shows will be re-scheduled in the fall. The band also wants to release another album, put their music on a label, and find a manager. 

Ever wanted to learn guitar, but never had the right inspiration? Are you hesitant to travel and visit your dream destination? Well you’re in luck, because Jimmy Stewart’s acoustic tunes will encourage you to take both of those risks. 

Stewart started playing acoustic guitar in 1974, when he was six years old. He was inspired by his older brother who also played guitar, encouraging Stewart to start learning himself. 

Stewart plays in open C tuning, so his music mainly consists of whole tones. Many say Stewart has a unique sound that makes him stand out from other guitarists. 

“I don’t think I sound different, but I have a lot of people tell me that I have my own style. That’s really cool, but I could not define it. I love other’s people music too, but I try to be original,” Stewart said. 

Stewart was in the Navy for 21 years and has been all over the world. He gets his inspiration from significant visuals he has seen and experienced. Stewart’s song, ‘Train to Kamakura’ off his album, ‘Just left of Beautiful’ was based off his time in Japan. 

“There was this water feature where everyone washes their hands before heading inside the temple,” Stewart said. “As soon as you past that section in the song, you’ll know exactly when I saw the Buddha for the first time.” 

Stewart also writes about places he hasn’t been before, but plans to visit in the future. 

“I write songs about Colorado, even though I’ve never been there. There’s a famous picture on the internet that shows a town of Telluride. It’s this ridiculous mountain at the end of the main street. Whenever I see that, I get inspired and do more research.” Stewart said. 

Stewart’s goal is to take advantage of every opportunity he can to play. He balances his life doing cyber-security for the Navy and being a semi-professional musician. Stewart also likes to RV and hopes to tour around the U.S. with his wife one day. 

“Whether I’m sitting in a coffee house or sitting in a camper, I’m going to play.” Stewart said. 

Stewart’s ultimate goal is to play on NPR’s Tiny Desk.  

“I don’t think you can buy your way onto that,” Stewart said. “I believe in the Tiny Desk and their music program. To be selected and asked to play would be the pinnacle for me.” 

Meet Christian! 

Ever wonder if Daniel Caesar has a twin brother? This might be him!!

Christian is a recent grad from Shenandoah University where he studied music therapy and guitar. He is now performing more after graduation by sharing his jazzy, original tunes around Baltimore and Towson. 

“Music has always been there for me. My parents would always hear me singing in the bathtub or singing around the house as a kid. When I was in middle school and high school, I knew I needed to make something out of it,” Christian said. 

Christian believes that all good music focuses on love, but wants to tell more stories in his songwriting.  

“Music is something everyone can take part in. My style might not be different, but it’s vibe music, it’s something chill. It’s something you can just throw on and just listen to or let play in the background. I put my own stories in my music. It’s personal for me, but might also be a big part of someone else’s life,” Christian said. 

After Christian gets his certification in music therapy, he wants to focus on being a performer again by getting more gigs and sharing his music. He also produces music and would like to work with other artists, singers, and songwriters. 

“I’ve met a lot of beautiful people by being involved in music. People even come up to me on the streets sometimes and strike up conversation if they see my guitar case. I have the musician’s dream. I want to put myself out there and experience music everday,” Christian said. 

Meet Britt Marie!

Britt is an artist from Towson, MD who has released her single, “Addicted to You” and “Youngblood” project all within the past year!

Britt’s also working on a new EP, recording an acoustic cover album, and just finished writing an original called “Stuck” that she’ll be performing at Falling Branch Brewery on May 18th.

This girl is working hard!! Check her out @thebrittmarie.

Meet Shannon! 

Shannon is a vocal performance major at Towson University. She has been writing music ever since she was a sophomore in high school and is inspired by folk, indie, alternative rock, and jazz! 

Read our Q and A below! 

Q: How old were you when you starting singing?

Shannon: I started singing before I could talk, so I was three. I loved Disney princess movies, so my mom has recordings of me from when I was really little, specifically watching “Mulan.” I remember Mulan was looking at her reflection, and in the recording, even though I can’t speak English, you can hear the infliction in my voice; when she gets sad, I get sad. My mom was also a classical vocalist, so she always wanted me to sing.

Q: How would you describe your style of music? 

Shannon: The things I write are influenced by folk music, indie music, alternative rock, and jazz. You can hear all those influences in what I write for sure.

Q: What inspires your songwriting? 

Shannon: I definitely started writing songs for myself. I think that’s pretty evident because I’m a vocalist and I’m writing words that directly reflect the experiences I’ve had. My goal has been to make words that create a specific story in my head. My listener might not know all the details or understand the story I’m trying to tell, but they still get the same feelings and emotions that I felt when I wrote it. 

Q: What are your goals for the future when it comes to music? 

Meet Robbie Liberati!

Liberati is the drummer of Day Gone Band. When he was 14 years old, Liberati began taking drum lessons, started taking more music classes, and invested in learning guitar. During high school, he also met Jake Ruth, Day Gone’s vocalist and guitarist. 

“Jake is a really convenient guy to be in a band with cause he writes music really fast. He’ll just think of stuff on the spot and hit record,” Liberati said. 

Ruth and Liberati formed the band in January 2018, after deciding they both wanted to collaborate and make music together. Ruth has a studio in his house, making it convenient for him to record their music for Day Gone. 

“We’re a DIY, psychedelic, folk band,” said Liberati. “We’re really into concepts. We have two albums and an EP. That first album was kind of all over the place, cause we were just figuring it out. The second one is more scary and psychedelic. The New EP is very flower power; acoustic guitar. It’s very light and fluffy. I wanted ‘The Changing of the Seasons at Loch Raven Reservoir’ to sound like a ballad title.” 

Liberati and Ruth hope to build their portfolio with Day Gone and raise at least $100 from their two albums. One of Liberati’s main goals is to play more than two shows a year and improve his music by working with Ruth. 

Meet Millan! 

Millan is a senior at UMBC majoring in music technology. Millan started singing at an extremely early age, but started taking music more seriously when he joined choir in 4th grade. Both Millan’s parents are classical musicians, so he was exposed to music his entire childhood.

Read our Q and A below! 

Q: How would you describe your style of music? How would you say it’s different and unique? 

Millan: I like to call my music Pop Neo-soul. It’s not something that is normal. My job and purpose as a musician is to make non-musicians appreciate Neo-soul music by putting a Pop spin on it, so that people will understand it. 

Q: What inspires your songwriting?

Millan: My feelings play a large role on my songwriting. If someone comes to me with a problem, or is really happy, I have the ability to put myself in their shoes as much as I can, and see from their point of view.

Q: What are your goals for the future when it comes to music and songwriting?

Millan: My goal is to complete any music-related task for people struggling with songwriting. I want to be able to play all the instruments and make sure everything sounds good, and put that together for the person. 

My goals for songwriting are always short-term. I don’t necessarily have a long-term goal, but my goals are per song. My goal is to make sure that each song feels complete when it’s done. I have no idea what I’m getting myself into in the beginning, but at the end I know exactly why I did everything. At the end of it, I learn a little bit about myself. 

Meet our first featured guest: Leroy Hyson, a rising musician from Towson, MD. Hyson is a senior at Towson University who has been performing music since he was 4 years old. 

“As soon as I got home from the hospital, my dad pretty much gave me drum sticks, instead of a rattle or any baby toy” Hyson said. 

Hyson wrote his first song at a camp when he was in 7th grade. The camp encouraged the kids to perform broadway tunes, but Hyson wanted to create something better.

“My sister was going through some stuff at the time, so I ended up writing a song to my sister just about how much I love her. The song was called ‘Hurricane Babies,’ which is how we survived in the hurricane together. We are birthed into a hurricane and out of a hurricane,” Hyson said. 

Since then, Hyson started listening to all kinds of music to inspire his songwriting. 

“Right now, I’ll say my style is a mixture of soul, lyrical pop, plus a little bit of funk, plus a little bit of contemporary Christian, and a mixture of craziness. As far of a writing style, I like to write in a relatable way for people to hear, so they can hear my heart in it, but also apply their heart to the songs as well,” Hyson said. 

Hyson is currently in a new stage of inspiration. He is now aiming to write more about lifestyle issues rather than love. Hyson has entered a new relationship, which has shifted his focus in his songwriting.

“I met my girlfriend, and we started dating and it was just this crazy thing that came out of the cut. Neither of us expected it, it just happened. I’m now realizing I’m in a place where God is putting me in a position to sing more about life and things other than romance, cause life is more about that,” Hyson said.

Hyson is now inspired by his dreams, goals, and struggles. His ultimate goal is to have influences in all parts of the music industry one day. He plans to keep writing music, put out albums, and tour with his band, “Hyson.” He also hopes to open up a camp called “Christian’s Academy” which gives kids the opportunity to create music. 

Hyson has recently started a company called “Next Level Music” which assists musicians who are trying to improve their productions. Hyson meets with artists, writes with them, and helps gather ideas for their songwriting. He hopes this company can be influential in the future and inspire musicians who are trying to create musical projects.