The GRAMMY Foundation and the D.C. Chapter presented a GRAMMY SoundChecks with Anthony Hamilton at Baltimore's Lyric Opera House on May 10. More than 30 music students from former GRAMMY Signature School Baltimore School of the Arts and students from the music department of Empowerment Temple AME Church in Baltimore were in attendance.

The students got to see the band warm-up with some of Hamilton's hottest tunes like "Can't Let Go," "Comin' Where I'm From," "Charlene and Since I Seen't You." He then engaged the students in a question-and-answer session where he talked about his humble beginnings, his strong church upbringing and the trials he's gone through in the record business, including being signed to a number of labels, and being dropped or projects not being released. He encouraged students to persevere to achieve their goals.

David Balfour, Hamilton's songwriting partner and musical director, also discussed his musical education at Berklee College of Music and how it's been invaluable to him in his work with Hamilton.