HHS Presents Electrify Your Strings! Rock Orchestra
International recording artist and Emmy award winning composer Mark Wood, an original member of the multi-platinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra and creator of the revolutionary Viper electric violin, is bringing his groundbreaking music education program Electrify Your Strings! (ESY) to Hillsborough High School in Hillsborough, NJ. This music education program, now in its 19th year, will transform Hillsborough student musicians into a full-fledged Rock Orchestra.
Wood will be performing with the students on his handcrafted seven-string fretted electric Viper violin as part of the Electrify Your Strings! “Discovery Tour” on April 6, 2019, at 7:00 p.m. in the Hillsborough High School Auditorium. The audience will enjoy original material, as well as Wood’s exciting arrangements of music by Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, and more. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door the night of the performance. All proceeds from the concert will go to the school orchestra program.
To prepare for this concert, Wood and his team worked directly with Sarah Mederos, Hillsborough’s orchestra director, to tailor design a rock orchestra makeover. The music arrangements were then sent to the school’s music program for students to practice prior to Wood’s arrival for a two-day workshop. The workshops will be held on April 5 and 6 and will cover topics such as improvisation, composition, and personal expression on their violins, violas, cellos, and basses. The public concert on April 6 will be the culminating work for this special music education program. The EYS program builds on the strong foundation of classical music provided by District music teachers, creating a partnership with education that inspires students and boosts their self-esteem and motivation on stage and off.
“We are excited to be able to host Electrify Your Strings this year,” stated Sarah Mederos, Hillsborough High School Orchestra Director. “It is truly a unique experience, and an inspirational and motivational event for students and audience members alike.”