Panda Bear is the moniker of Noah Lennox, a founding member of Animal Collective who is also a member of Jane. Lennox grew up in the Roland Park section of Baltimore, Maryland. As a child, he played sports, studied piano and cello. He later sang tenor in his high school chamber choir. After graduation, he attended Boston University but dropped out in 2000 and moved to New York to dedicate himself to his music. His first solo release was the self titled Panda Bear in 1999, which was released under Soccer Star Records, a label founded by fellow Animal Collective member, Deakin