Music rarely remains static. Rather, it evolves and finds a connection with successive generations. Along the way, it’s shared and enjoyed with little heed to age or ethnic divides, political posturing or certain stylistic sensibilities.
That’s been evidenced by the initiative undertaken by the Maryville High School Orchestra program, which continues to pair its students with the Drift Boat Cowboys. When the two ensembles collaborate for a benefit concert on Sept. 17 at the Maryville Greenbelt Amphitheater, it will mark the third time in three years that this unique performance takes place.
The event is free, but donations are accepted, with all proceeds benefiting the Maryville City Schools Orchestra program.
According to Megan Marcus, president of the Encore Booster Club, the idea originally came about in 1995 thanks to former Maryville City Schools Orchestra Director Bill Robinson. Her husband, Justin Marcus, a current member of the Drift Boat Cowboys, and his bandmates David Rasnake and Jeremy Stephens were introduced to the program when they were students at Maryville High School. Although the idea was placed on hold for decades, it was revived in 2024 as a means of raising money for the student orchestra. Maryville High School Orchestra Director Matthew Wilkinson was receptive to the idea, as were the members of the Drift Boat Cowboys.
“That’s how the tradition was brought back to life,” Marcus explained. “All of the feedback has been very positive, and a significant amount of money has been raised. The money helps students pay for lessons if and when they cannot afford them.”
It also helps pay for much-needed equipment that may not be in the school’s budget. It funds trips to performances at other locales and any other needs that might arise.
Beyond the financial boost, the concert has become a way of introducing the orchestra program to people in the community who might not otherwise come to a Maryville High School Orchestra concert.
“This concert is a great opportunity for the students of Maryville to perform a different type of concert,” Wilkinson said. “To be able to back up a band is something we don’t normally do. The kids love this concert, and I think it is great for our community and the students at Maryville. Each year the crowd for this concert gets bigger, and we raise a ton of money for the program. We couldn’t do this without the Drift Boat Cowboys!”
The Drift Boat Cowboys trace their origins back to 2016, when a group of friends spawned the band from a shared love of storytelling and late-night jam sessions. According to their website, the name “The Drift Boat Cowboys” references “a slower, more deliberate way of traveling through life, guided by a current, shaped by the landscape, and fueled by grit. That ethos runs through their music, where songs drift between themes of freedom, heartbreak, resilience, and the quiet beauty of getting lost on purpose.”
In addition to Marcus (the group’s fiddler, guitarist and vocalist), Rasnake (who contributes guitar, piano and bass), and Stephens (who sings and plays fiddle, mandolin and guitar), the band also includes Justin Hall on bass, guitar and vocals; Brad Hitch, who handles drums, guitar, banjo, harmonica, steel guitar and vocals; Mark Ross, who shares vocals, guitar and bass; and sound engineer Rick Pope.
The members are all natives of Blount County and share a love for all types of music. “The band mostly focuses on country music from their childhoods and beyond,” Marcus noted. “They like to put their own twist on songs everyone has heard over the years, but they also stay as true to the originals as possible. It’s a true love for music that’s shared by all of the guys in the band, and all of them feel very lucky they can share their talents with the folks that come out to hear them.”
“To have had most of the band members come through the Maryville program is special,” Wilkinson added.
If you go
What: Concert by the Drift Boat Cowboys and the Maryville High School Orchestra
When: 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 17
Where: Maryville Greenbelt Amphitheater, 325 Court St., Maryville
How much: Free, but donations are encouraged
For more information, go to https://www.facebook.com/share/1CemPKY264/
