WARREN – As a child growing up in Howland, Mariano Longo remembers going to see the Warren Philharmonic Orchestra perform at Packard Music Hall as part of a school trip.

“I can remember it like it was yesterday,” he said. “They demonstrated what each of the instruments sounded like. The bassoon player played `Popeye the Sailor Man,’ the flute player did a little melody from a cartoon. Lo and behold, 50 years later, I’m a symphony orchestrator and arranger. It was a ground-shaking experience for me.”

And it’s an experience he wants to give current students.

Longo is producing a concert Jan. 26 at the Robins Theatre that will feature three acts – Serpentine Fire (Earth, Wind & Fire tribute), Soul of the ’70s featuring Genevieve Dew and Tyriq Johnson, and B.B. and Me featuring Chris Clermont (B.B. King tribute) — backed by the 32-piece Dave Banks Orchestra.

The performance will be filmed and used for promotional purposes by the acts, such as a promo reel to send out to orchestras to consider booking the performers for their pops series.

“Serpentine Fire’s done a dozen of these concerts in the last year with regional symphonies,” Longo said.

He decided to use these classic sounds to get a younger generation involved, both as audience members and in the production itself.

Posters have been distributed to area schools with a code that allows students ages 18 and younger to purchase $8 tickets in the balcony. Those students also will have an opportunity to meet and talk with the performers after the show.

“Because it is an orchestral concert, it’s so important that young people be exposed to real music and see an actual live orchestra,” Longo said. “Everyone talks about, how do we reach the young people? What are we going to do? Well, I’m trying to do something.”

Six of the 32 orchestra seats will be filled by college musicians who will be mentored by professional musicians. Rachel Stegeman, the principal violinist for the concert and the concertmaster for the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, will be mentoring two string players from Duquesne University. Bandleader Dave Banks will be mentoring brass and woodwind players from Kent State University and Baldwin Wallace College.

Longo also is drawing from his alma mater for the production. Howland High School student Aiden Hite will serve as conductor’s assistant for the rehearsal and show. Emcees for the performance will be senior Katie Toepfer and 2018 graduate Caleb Shaw.

“Yes, we could get an old, gray-haired DJ from one of the stations to say, `Hey, how is everybody doing out there?’ How many times have we heard that,” Longo said. “No, we’ve gotta have a young energetic face on this concert.”

Longo first talked to Toepfer when she was recommended to design the promotional poster for the event.

“I was so impressed with the way she talked to me on the phone,” he said. “It was like talking to someone who had taken a Dale Carnegie course. The way she presented herself was so educated and literate.”

Toepfer, who has experience speaking to large groups both through her church and as a member of Howland’s speech and debate team, said she was surprised when Longo first asked her to emcee, but the more he talked about it, the more excited she got about the opportunity.

“I get to be the young face on stage representing the young people in the audience,” she said. “I’m excited to be a part of an event everyone can enjoy, not something for just one generation.”

Longo knows Shaw because he serves on the board of the Downbeat Music Centre. Longo, who currently lives in Las Vegas, is moving back to the area in the spring to open the center, which will be a space for rehearsals, lessons, clinics and networking for area musicians.

Shaw was recommended for the board when Longo was looking for youth and diversity for the organization – “I didn’t want it to be all cranky old white guys,” Longo said – and he came to mind as co-emcee.

Shaw said he believes a concert like this is a perfect way to bring together different generations.

“One of the easiest places to find common ground is good music,” Shaw said. “If you want to bring different generations together under one roof and maybe start a dialogue, music is definitely a great starting point.”

agray@tribtoday.com