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Mark Wood Concert with Greenville Schools Orchestras
By J.R. Price, Band & Orchestra Instructor
I am excited to announce that next Saturday, February 22nd the
Orchestras of Greenville City Schools will combine with Emmy Award
Winning and the one time Electric Violinist of the Trans Siberian
Orchestra Mark Wood for a Rock Show for the Ages. The concert
will begin at 7pm in the Greenville High School Gym. General
Admission Tickets for the show are $7.00 and can be obtained from any
orchestra member or by contacting kprice@gcswave.com. Music from
Ozzy Osbourne, ACDC, The Beatles, Mark Wood originals and more will be
performed.
Mark Wood is a recording artist, performer, producer, inventor,
Emmy-winning composer and music education advocate Mark Wood has spent
the past four decades electrifying the orchestra industry –literally.
Dubbed ‘The Les Paul of The Violin World’ by PBS, Wood is the premier
electric violinist of his generation who pioneered the entire
genre. The Juilliard trained violinist (he attended on full
scholarship) first turned the string establishment on its head in the
early 1970’s with his invention of the first solid body electric
violin. His company Wood Violins is the premier manufacturer of
electric violins, violas and cellos worldwide, and he holds the patent
for the first-ever self-supporting violin. The company stands behind
its claim to have made the most important change to the violin in 400
years and is often referred to as the “Stradivarius of electric
violins.”
Mark’s signature electric violin invention, the Viper, has found favor
with musicians as varied as Lady Gaga’s violinist Judy Kang and Carrie
Underwood’s violinist Jimmy Herman, and countless others. Wood is
a world-renowned performer who rose to fame as string master and
original member of the internationally acclaimed Trans Siberian
Orchestra. A successful solo artist in his own right, Wood writes and
records original music for film and television, has released seven solo
albums, and tours with his band The Mark Wood Experience (MWE) which
features his wife and partner, vocalist Laura Kaye.
His commission credits include The Juilliard School and extensive TV
broadcast music including The Winter Olympics and The Tour de France
(for which he won an Emmy). In addition to his continued solo and
commission work, Wood has collaborated with and appeared alongside some
of the biggest names in music such as Lenny Kravitz, Celine Dion, and
Kanye West. Wood had the honor of performing with legendary artists
such as Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Steven Tyler, and Roger Daltry. He
also starred in a Kanye West produced national Pepsi TV commercial and
has appeared on the world’s most venerable stages including Carnegie
Hall, Lincoln Center, and Madison Square Garden. But, Mark’s true
passion is music education.
His groundbreaking music education program Electrify Your
Strings!™(EYS)will be celebrating its20th anniversary in 2020. EYS is
an immersive rock and roll workshop and concert series for school music
departments that boosts student self-esteem and helps raise much-needed
funds. Mark and his team of Artist Mentors visit upwards of 75 schools
per year. EYS has been featured on NBC-TV’s The Today Show, CBS Evening
News, CBS Morning News, and regional media outlets.
Mark has dedicated his career to providing educators with the
opportunity to ignite their students’ passions and to inspire students
to open their minds and unlock their potential. His book “Electrify
Your Strings: The Mark Wood Improvisational Violin Method”(published by
Cherry Lane/Hal Leonard) is regarded as the definitive electric violin
method book. The first in a series of forthcoming educational books,
Wood is passionate about providing educators and students with the
tools they need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. His new
curriculum,“Rockin’ Strings,” published by Hal Leonard and developed
with assistance from Dr. Bob Gillespie from The Ohio State University,
is expected to change the way prospective music educators are taught at
the college and university level.
A genuine family man, Wood runs his operations alongside his wife,
business partner, and longtime collaborator Laura Kaye out of their
home in New York. In addition to EYS, Wood and his family run the
annual Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp and Festival, celebrating its 10th
year in 2019, as well as The Mark Wood Music Foundation, a 501(c)(3)
charitable organization dedicated to supporting music and the arts in
America’s underserved communities. With hundreds of thousands of
students reached, millions of dollars raised to help high school music
departments across the US, and countless school orchestra programs
saved from the chopping block because of funds raised through his
efforts, Mark Wood has proven himself a man of ideas, action and
results. Showing no signs of slowing down, the multi-faceted visionary
continues to write, perform, record, invent and inspire. As a matter of
fact, Mark Wood is just getting started.
Plan now to enjoy this great orchestra rock show featuring Mark Wood
with the orchestras of Greenville City Schools this Saturday, February
22 at 7pm in the Greenville High School Gym. Great sounds, great
lights and a great show.
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