Loyola University New Orleans’ long-running FORUM series has consistently connected music industry insiders to students in the College of Music & Media (CMM) and Music Industry Studies (MIS) departments. Since Jonathan McHugh joined Loyola as Chair of MIS, his goal has been to expand the series to include opportunities for students to showcase their talents alongside professional artists.
McHugh said, “The first college guest lecture I ever did in my life was at FORUM in 2009. It was a great experience. When I was hired at Loyola, I realized that it was crucial to find music artists for our talented students to perform with because it motivates them. There’s deep musical and future industry talent here, so an opportunity to showcase with an artist can be life-changing.”
On March 3, McHugh invited Tarriona “Tank” Ball and her manager, Tavia Osbey, to participate in an interview and performance. Ball and Osbey shared their inspirational story of pushing and motivating each other while building Tank’s artistic career.
Following the interview, student musicians joined Tank on-stage as her backing band while she performed two of her spoken word songs. Loyola drummer Mervin Redmond Jr. (@mervjmusic) said, “Since watching her do a studio session my freshman year, I’ve been a fan of Tank’s for life. I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to perform with her.” Other musicians included students Arnold Little III (guitar), Jordan Bush (keys), Diego Gutierrez (bass), and Augustin Clavier (guitar).
Student Mynthia “THE ICON” (@mynthiaicon) closed the show with his single, “AFRO,” which Tank joined him on to applause and cheers from the 200+ students in attendance.
According to student Margaret Branson who co-founded Loyola’s student-run music organization (Howl Entertainment), “We were all overwhelmed by Tank’s performance. A group of aspiring student artists rushed to the stage to perform a cappella for her following the showcase, which was inspiring. Tank stayed so everyone could perform and gave such kind feedback to everyone.”
Previous guest artists during this school year included AJ Haynes (Seratones), Flagboy Giz, Alfred Banks and Pell. Upcoming potential guest performers for the remainder of the school year include Cimafunk and Ivan Neville and select artists performing at Freret Fest, French Quarter Fest and Jazz Fest.
Said McHugh: “I’m excited to use all of my connections to bring the highest caliber of industry insiders to Loyola, but these artist/student collaborations really fire up the campus. I think our guest artists feel it too. They’re inspiring these young artists in so many ways.”
The weekly FORUM series has become an integral part of Loyola’s music industry studies program, providing valuable opportunities for students to learn from and work with experienced professionals in the field. The collaborations between artists and students entertain and inspire, encouraging the next generation of musicians and industry leaders to follow their dreams and achieve success in the competitive music industry.
