The teen band Anonymous is hoping to be anything but. The Atlanta foursome — all from different public schools — is in a national competition to win money for their school music programs and show off their jazz-and-funk instrumental sound on big stages in California and Germany.
“We take old-school songs and make them new, playing everything from James Brown to Beyoncé,” said Langston Michael, a sophomore at Fulton County’s North Springs Charter High and the band’s saxophonist.
Other members are bass player Carrington Edmondson, a senior at Druid Hills High School, and pianist Maxwell Estis, a sophomore at North Atlanta High School. Michael’s brother Justice, an eighth-grader at Ridgeview Charter Middle School, plays a mean drum. Now through the end of November, the SchoolJam USA competition is in the online phase of the competition. Bands collecting the most votes from the public are more likely to move on to the next round. Michael talked about his band and why he thinks it deserves your vote.
To check out the band, visit anonymousdaband.com. If you like what you hear, vote for Anonymous at schooljamusa.com.
Q: How did you guys get together?
A: We met five years ago at a jazz camp at Clark Atlanta University.
Q: Where do you play?
A: We did a gig at Six Flags Labor Day weekend. We’ve done Wednesday WindDown at Centennial Olympic Park and performed at Atlantic Station. We do a lot of private events.
Q: What’s with the band’s name?
A: When we started, we were trying to think of a name and it was driving us crazy. We said we were anonymous and that stuck.
Q: You are a jazz/funk band. Are the two genres related?
A: All music is related. Jazz can be mixed into funk. The beats are similar.
Q: None of you sings, right?
A: We are an instrumental band. We’ve had some guest appearances. Clark King (who appeared on The Voice) sometimes sings with us.
Q: All four of you go to different schools. How do you hold the band together?
A: We are really dedicated and practice a lot. Sometimes we do bonding activities. We go out to eat after gigs. That keeps the band intact.
Q: How long have you been playing the sax?
A: I picked it up in band in sixth grade. Before I was playing the recorder but I don’t think that counts.
Q: Do you have a favorite musician?
A: David Sanborn and Alex Han (both saxophonists). We all like Stevie Wonder and James Brown.
Q: Being in a band must make you really popular at school, especially with the girls, right?
A: It is not part of school so nobody is going crazy about us, at least not right now.
Q: Musicians are known for being temperamental. Do you all have blowups?
A: We have typical bickering about our music. I am the calm one in the band — I am a math and science guy.
Q: Why should people vote for you?
A: Because we don’t want to be Anonymous forever.
The Sunday conversation is edited for length and clarity. Writer Ann Hardie can be reached by email at ann.hardie@ymail.com.
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