Our Founder
Marco K. Merrick, Founding Director
For 40 years, Marco K. Merrick has served in music ministry. A Baltimore native, he began piano studies at 8 years old at Peabody Conservatory of Music and subsequently in the studios of Pearl Evans, Charlotte Arbelotta, Audrey McCallum and Christina Luperini. Local churches include Shiloh Christian Community, Edgewood UMC, Metropolitan UMC, Adams Chapel A.M.E, First Baptist and Douglas Memorial Community Churches.
The Founding Director of the Community Concert Choir of Baltimore, Inc., Marco is deeply committed to preserving the sacred music of the African American Church. He is a member of the Choir Directors and Organists Guild of the Hampton Ministers Conference and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the nation’s oldest music fraternity. He’s served on the piano faculty at the Nathan Carter School of Music and is called upon as a music consultant,lecturer and presenter, including directing the National ACT-SO Chorus during the NAACP Convention in Kansas City, MO and Los Angeles,CA. A founder of The Open Church of Maryland, Marco is a member of its board of directors.
In 1996 he was commissioned by Dr. Brad R. Braxton to organize a Gospel Choir at Douglas Memorial Community Church, which led to considerable growth, subsequently the Inspirational Choir and an annual concert to capacity crowds, fostering goodwill and abundant financial proceeds to the church.
As a communications professional, Marco’s career has afforded him many significant musical experiences. While a producer at both WBZ-TV in Boston and WJZ-TV in Baltimore, he produced programs and news features on music and the arts. In Boston, he was organist/director at Union United Methodist Church. As coordinator for Performing Arts at Morgan State University with Dr. Nathan Carter, Marco produced an unprecedented master class with world renowned soprano Leontyne Price and coordinated the MSU Choir’s tour of Bonn, Germany. He’s been published in the African American Pulpit Lectionary series and was entered into The Society of Living Makers of Black History by Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. Kappa Chapter in 2017. He’s an active member of the Carter Legacy Singers.
Marco is a life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., past president of Delta Lambda Chapter and member of the Alpha Chorale and National Chorus. He’s a member of the Pi Eta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the President’s Committee for the Morgan State University Choir, past chair of the Bannister, Lewis, Tanner Circle at the Walters Art Museum, The Ashe’ Circle at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, the Board of Directors for the Maryland State Boychoir, ArtsCentric, and the Nathan Carter Foundation; a former board member of the National Kidney Foundation of Maryland, the Central Maryland Ecumenical Council. Marco produced and hosted a weekly radio public affairs program, "On The Pulse” on Baltimore’s WCAO-AM Heaven 600. He mentors high school students and garners scholarships through Alpha’s Beautillion Program and the Nathan Carter Foundation.
A former lecturer in Morgan State University’s School of Global Journalism and Communication, he also was Expert Consultant on a White House initiative during the Obama administration for the Social Security Administration. He was Chief Deputy Register of Wills for Baltimore City and faculty in Visual and Performing Arts at Coppin State University. Mr. Merrick holds a Masters of Arts degree in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore’s School of Communications Design and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communication (Public Relations) from Towson University. He continues to receive numerous awards and commendations, including an honorary Doctoral Degree in Sacred Music from Eastern Theological Seminary. He feels privileged to serve others.
“There are two ways of spreading light: To be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” Edith Wharton
