Charleston County Schools music students to perform in concert with world-renowned electric violinist Mark Wood!

International recording artist Mark Wood, one of the original members of the multiplatinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra and creator of the revolutionary Viper electric violin, is working to inspire young string players with “Electrify Your Strings,” his groundbreaking music education program. He and his band, the Mark Wood Experience, will perform in concert with music students from many Charleston County Schools on Friday, March 19th at 7:00.

Mark Wood is the owner and operator of Wood Violins, one of the largest electric violin manufacturing companies in the world. He studied under Maestro Leonard Bernstein, and is a Juilliard-trained violinist and Emmy-winning composer who has done string arrangements for Celine Dion and others. In addition to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, he has worked with Lenny Kravitz, Billy Joel, Everclear, and many others. The Mark Wood Experience includes other members of Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

Mark will be performing with the students on his handcrafted 7-string fretted electric Viper violin. This exciting event will transform the student musicians into a full-fledged Rock Orchestra! The audience will be entertained by Mark’s original material, as well as his exciting arrangements of music by Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Beatles, and more.

As part of this year’s “Electrify Your Strings” tour, Mark has been spending much of his time performing at schools all across the country, and has worked with orchestra directors to create more than 50 student rock orchestras. His music programs build on the strong foundation in classical music provided by the music teachers at each school he works with, creating a partnership with educators to create a learning experience for music students that can grow and evolve from year to year.

To prepare for this concert, Mark will be spending several days during the week leading up to the concert visiting schools all over Charleston County, performing for and rehearsing with students. The end of the week will include a full two-day workshop with the entire band. In these workshops, students learn 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, the music students will perform in a live concert, open to the public:

Friday, March 19 at 7:00PM
North Charleston Performing Arts Center
5001 Coliseum Dr
North Charleston, SC 29418

Tickets are $20 (plus applicable fees) and can be purchased in advance at the coliseum ticket window, charged by phone at 1.800.745.3000, or purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
For more information on “Electrify Your Strings,” please visit www.electrifyyourstrings.com.

To find out more about Mark Wood, please visit www.markwoodmusic.com.
The Viper electric violin is one of several electric instruments manufactured by Mark’s company Wood Violins – check them out at www.woodviolins.com.


Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. Here is a link: CHARLESTON ALL STAR ROCK ORCHESTRA.

PLEASE consider sponsoring this event or connecting us with someone who would really value this kind of exposure to Fine Arts students and their families!

We welcome sponsors at all levels as well as artists, parents, students, fellow musicians, and Mark Wood fans to join us for an evening that will be "Electric"! Please have anyone you know that is interested in sponsoring this amazing event, please contact Zoe Roff at 937-6586.