Skylark Band
Skylark Band has entertained audiences for many years with spirited, stylish and engaging tunes.
Skylark Band is a shot of coffee hitting your veins. Soaring through numerous genres effortlessly, their energetic sets take you to colorful and surprising places.
From the gritty, riotous underbelly of speakeasy jazz to the bizarre cabarets of yesteryear, from the sounds of Latin American dance halls to funk and hip hop arrangements, to the big band era to soulful R&B and fifties rock; Skylark keeps you feet moving.
With a number of infectious original instrumentals & vocals sprinkled in for good measure, Skylark Band delivers a fresh take on songs, old and new.
SKIP HANCOCK
On piano and vocals, Skip Hancock leads Skylark and writes and/or arranges all the group’s music. He graduated from Old Dominion University with a degree in biology. Then went on the road with a show band. He’s been a full-time, professional musician ever since.
Skip has worked in many different settings through the years with other bands and leading his jazz combo Interlude. He has been music director for several artists including the late Tom Netherton of Lawrence Welk fame. For 12 years he taught solo piano, keyboards, and jazz theory to Navy and Marine keyboardists at the Navy School of Music in Virginia Beach.
In addition to performing with Skylark, Skip also plays solo piano, piano/vocal, and works with other bands in the area as their keyboardist.
KERA O’BRYON
Kera is an Emmy-nominated Actress, as well as Voice Actor and Singer. A featured singer with Skylark since 2008, Kera has performed all over North America in various venues as a soloist since the age of 3. Her professional career turned a corner at the age of 15 after performing a special arrangement of The Star Spangled Banner, which led to an opportunity to represent high schoolers in Maryland to sing for Opening Day of the Baltimore Orioles.
Since then, her career has blossomed into more musical theatre, commercials, and film, garnering experience acting in leading and featured roles in over 100 IMdB titles. When she’s not on a set or a stage, you will probably find her behind the microphone recording audiobooks, commercials, cartoons, corporate narrations and AI-type voices. If you’re wondering if any of her character voices sneak into her Skylark repertoire, the answer is: Yes. Any chance she gets.
You can hear some in the new videos (try My Heart Belongs to Daddy!)
KEITH PHILBRICK
Keith is a saxophonist and music educator. He has a MA in music from Old Dominion University and a BA Oral Roberts University. A career Army musician, he has played around the world with assignments at the U.S. Army Europe Band, Allied Forces Southern Europe (NATO) Band, and the Continental Army Band. He performs with major touring artists when they are in the area, people like Tony Bennett, Barry Manilow, Natalie Cole, and Manhattan Transfer.
He has had teaching positions at Old Dominion University, the Governor’s School for the Arts, and the Navy School of Music. Currently, he performs locally with Skylark, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and Virginia Musical Theater.
JEREMY WARD
Jeremy was born into a large musical family in Tremonton, Utah. He began learning bass in third grade because the family band needed a bass player. He has an MA from University of Rhode Island and a BA from Utah State University. A career Navy musician, he has toured across the world and had many incredible opportunities of playing with amazing musicians including Carl Fontana, Tom Ferguson and Corey Christiansen.
He has been very involved in education including several faculty positions at the Navy School of music in Norfolk, VA. Now retired from the Navy he is teaching orchestra at Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, Virginia. He continues to freelance in his spare time across the area. He is Skylark’s first call bassist.
RANDY HAGIN
Randy is a freelance drummer, percussionist, and music educator originally from upstate New York. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. Randy performed around the world while serving a 22 year career in US Army Bands.
Randy then settled in Hampton Roads, Virginia, where he performs and teaches in various settings.
