GCMS Orchestra Students Work with
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Violinist Mark Wood
This winter the MCPASD orchestra program used funding from a district Innovation Grant to virtually work with Trans-Siberian Orchestra violinist, composer, and inventor of the electric violin Mark Wood through the Electrify Your Strings Program. As part of this project, students learned a piece of music to record and create a virtual ensemble video recording.
The unit began in December with a virtual concert with Mark Wood. He performed several of his famous pieces for students and families and showcased the many different versions of the electric violin he has created over the years. Students were impressed to see a glow-in-the-dark violin and a violin that shot off fireworks! In January, students worked with Mark Wood virtually in sectionals to get tips on playing the music. Special sessions were also held with Laura Kaye on how to create a stage presence and go outside your comfort zone and with Nathan Blake to learn choreography for the song.
To create the virtual ensemble video, students created video and audio recordings at home. Students also considered the story behind the piece and were encouraged to record B-roll film or supplementary footage to create a theme for the video. All footage was collected and sent to the Electrify Your Strings Program for final editing in February.
Students had many positive things to say about the experience:
"I just like playing with a famous musician. I also thought that it helped me excel in my music career." Morgan Dorsey (5th grade)
"I enjoyed watching myself get better and seeing me speed up on the song. Also, it was fun to ask questions to Mark Wood. And it was cool to see him play songs that he was so good at playing." Grace Metz (5th grade)
The core of our Mark Wood project was summed up by Maddie Schecher (5th grade) "I learned that I can do hard things when I set my mind to it.", Will Statz (5th grade) "that you should always try different things", and Treyton Varsho (5th grade) "that you can be you".
A watch party for the final virtual orchestra videos will be organized for early April and we are excited to share the final product with everyone!