Tickets can be purchased by contacting Cory Zilisch at [email protected] or through facebook message. Tickets are $10 each. Get them fast!
Official Press Release:
International recording artist and Emmy award winning composer Mark Wood, an original member of the multiplatinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra and creator of the revolutionary Viper electric violin, is bringing his groundbreaking music education program Electrify Your Strings! (EYS) to Westport MS, Louisville.
This exciting event will transform the student musicians into a full-fledged Rock Orchestra! Mark will be performing with the students on his handcrafted 7-string fretted electric Viper violin as part of the 2015 Electrify Your Strings! “Authentic Tour” on December 12th, 7:00pm at the Ballard HS Fine Arts Center. The audience will be entertained by Mark’s original material, as well as his exciting arrangements of music by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and more. Westport Middle School orchestra students will perform in a live concert alongside Mark Wood, open to the public with all profits going to the school’s music program.
When asked about Mark’s upcoming visit, Orchestra Director Cory Zilisch said, ”Westport middle school is starting one of the first school electric orchestras. This concert will help boost the electronic program to an exciting new level!”
The program – now in its 16th year – is a music education experience like no other. Wood and his team work directly with a school’s orchestra director to tailor-design a rock orchestra makeover complete with a public performance at the end of the experience. EYS builds on the strong foundation in traditional music provided by music teachers; creating a partnership with educators that inspires students and boosts their self-esteem and motivation on stage and off. EYS has been featured on The Today Show, The CBS Evening News, and many more.
Mark Wood is the owner and operator of Wood Violins, the premier manufacturer of electric orchestra string instruments worldwide. He studied under Maestro Leonard Bernstein, is a Juilliard-trained violinist and Emmy-winning composer. In addition to his solo career and his work with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mark has worked with Celine Dion, Lenny Kravitz, Billy Joel and more.
To prepare for this concert, Mark will be teaching the students improvisation, composition, and personal expression on their violins, violas, cellos and basses. Utilizing Mark’s music arrangements that were sent to the district prior to this visit, Westport MS orchestra students will perform in a live concert alongside Mark Wood, open to the public with all profits going to the Westport Middle School Electric Orchestra Program!