MARK WOOD RETURNS TO WACO ISD FOR AN ENCORE WORKSHOP AND PERFOMANCE
Like many other fine arts programs in Texas, art educators in Waco ISD work diligently to create interest in programs, as well as justify the need to maintain staffing levels and budgetary dollars. Without proper or innovative types of support, arts programs, especially orchestra can be left hanging by a string. Mark Wood’s visit to area schools is a continuation of the energy that started with the group Velocity.
Waco Cultural Arts Fest is excited to bring MARK WOOD back to the Waco ISD High and Middle School Orchestra programs. Last year all level orchestra students took part in the Mark Wood “Electrify your Strings’ four-day workshop, culminating in the most exciting Student performance with Mark Wood at Waco Cultural Arts Fest. The program was supported by the WISD Foundation, Texas Commission on the Arts and Friends of Waco Cultural Arts Fest.
FOR STRING TEACHERS the initial program opened eyes to so many possibilities! It also has shown teachers different way to go about teaching music as they discovered “Electrify Your Strings!,” the series of music education programs orchestrated by world-renowned electric violinist Mark Wood. The initial program gave the right motivation for students to participate in orchestra amazing though it may seem -students are seen working in groups over lunch to master the Mark Wood musical scores. This year will see the return of Mark Wood with “Energize your Strings’ having had a year to work on the music scores teachers from the Middle and High School programs requested to have Mark Wood back once more to strengthen the student experience and truly build the Electric String program into a performance quality group that can raise the bar on string performance for students in the WISD program.
The return of Mark Wood to Waco ISD will build on the high and middle school student base of electrified string musicians and finalize the creation of a fantastic performance group that invigorates young students to aspire to performance level. This brings parental support for Arts programs within Waco ISD.
A Juilliard alumnus, Wood, the lead violinist and string conductor for Trans-Siberian Orchestra, has now brought Electrify Your Strings to schools around the country, where he teaches students how to incorporate the principles of rock ’n’ roll into their musical repertoire. After providing students with materials ahead of time, Wood spends several days working with young musicians in each city he visits. Mark says “I love working with kids who want to participate in their music and not just play what I call the black dots on a white page,” Wood says. “When you think about the culture of the 1700s and Mozart, that culture doesn’t exist anymore. We’ve been able to create a niche and use technology never used before. It helps students interact with the music.” There’s a couple of reasons why kids aren’t playing the music they like in orchestra class. One, while arrangements for contemporary, main-stream music is common for band, similar arrangements are not as common for orchestra. Two, music scores are expensive. The result of students dropping out of traditional school music programs comes from a lack of musical selections that suit their interests. This creates a cultural chasm between the music these kids have on their iPods and what they are playing in class.
Wood released his much anticipated string method book, “Electrify Your Strings.” The book is an essential companion to the EYS program and guide for electric string players everywhere.
When you look at him you may think he’s from an 80’s hair band, long tresses, leather pants, wrist bands but where one would expect to see an electric guitar, there’s a violin. Like most things about Mark Wood it’s non-traditional: an electric violin.
His goal is to bring 17th century music into the 21st century, and teach students the value in all music genres. Wood changes student’s perceptions of what their instruments are capable of, and shows them how they can express their creativity through their instrument.