Mark Wood (violinist)
Mark Wood | |
---|---|
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) | Electric violin, viola |
Years active | 1990–present |
Formerly of | Trans-Siberian Orchestra |
Spouse(s) | Laura Kaye |
Website | markwoodmusic |
Mark Winthrop Wood is an American electric violinist and the founder of Wood Violins, a company that manufactures his electric violin designs. His music education program, Electrify Your Symphony, has been featured on news programs nationwide.[1] He is also an Emmy-winning composer and the original string master of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.[2]
Career
Education
Mark Wood studied under Dr. Richard Rusack at
Musician
Wood was the original string master of the
Composer
He is the founder of Mark Wood Music Productions, a company that creates music for use in film and television. Wood received an
Luthier
After spending extensive time as a child in his father's woodworking shop, Wood built his first electric violin at age 10.[6] In the 1970s, he gained notoriety from the stringed instrument community with his first solid-body electric violin and continued experimenting with numerous variations on this design in order to create an aesthetically appealing electric violin that would allow him to move freely while playing.[7] It has since evolved into the Viper, a fretted, seven-stringed electric violin with a patented chest support system. The Viper's T.F. Barrett line (which includes four-, five-, and six string-violins) uses the Barbera Transducer pickup. Their tonal character is a nice blend between acoustic and electric.[8]
He owns Wood Violins, the producer of five lines of custom-made electric violins and cellos.
Teacher
Wood travels to over 75 schools annually[2] with his music education program Electrify Your Symphony. The program brings together classical music with contemporary styles such as rock, jazz, and blues in order to provide a custom, hands-on learning experience. While Wood works primarily with orchestras, his wife Laura Kaye works with choirs in order to invigorate interest for the school's entire music program within both the community and student body. In January 2008, his method book Electrify your Strings was published.
He has also taught at the annual Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camps, and, in 2008, was elected to the board of the American String Teachers Association. He debuted the Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp (MWROC) in 2010, where he and many other high caliber world-class rock musicians hold a full week of workshops culminating in a final concert that includes all students and faculty. The camp is held each summer at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS.
On December 27, 2010,
Personal life
Wood has three brothers, 2 of whom play the violin and 1 who plays the cello. His mother was a pianist and his father an abstract painter.[12] He is married to vocalist Laura Kaye, with whom he partners in his business ventures. They have one child, Elijah Wood.[13][14]
Discography
- Voodoo Violince
- Sanctuary
- Portrait of an Artist
- Shake Off the Gravity
- Guts, Grace and Glory
- Against the Grain
- These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
- Turbow
Notes
- ^ "Inside the Real School of Rock". MSN. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ a b Genn, Adina (March 16, 2012). "Saving Music Education, One School At A Time". Port Washington Patch. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Mark Wood". ViolinStudent.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "The National Academy of Television Arts and Science Presents the 24th Annual Sports Emmy Awards" (PDF). National Television Academy. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 May 2012. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^ "Juilliard Nest of Vipers". The Juilliard Journal. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
- ^ Wood, Mark: Electrify your Strings, page 9. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2008
- ^ "About the Company". Wood Violins. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21.
- ISBN 9781476858074.
- ^ "Howard Core". Retrieved 17 July 2012.
- ^ "Dominic's Music". Retrieved 17 July 2012.
- ^ "The Today Show with Mark Wood, Laura Kaye, and Elijah Wood". YouTube. Dec 27, 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
- ^ Wood, Mark: Electrify your Strings, page 8. Hal Leonard Corporation, 2008
- ^ "Electrify Your Strings (EYS) | Music Education | USA". EYS. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
- ^ "Mark Wood Music Foundation - Who Are We?". www.mwmfoundation.org. 2012-01-25. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
References
- "Mark Wood Biography". www.markwoodmusic.com.
- Wood, Mark (2008). Electrify Your Strings. ISBN 978-1-57560-743-6.