Rocking Out At Niles West

More than 400 junior high and high school students will take the stage tonight at Niles West High School in Skokie for an orchestra concert the likes of which most people have never heard.

Led by international recording artist Mark Wood of Trans-Siberian Orchestra fame, the students will play a program of nine rock songs on violin and other string instruments. Niles West orchestra director Steven Katz predicts that most audience members will recognize all of them.

Niles West senior Jill Erickson said she most enjoys Wood’s arrangement of “Eleanor Rigby.” A Beatles fan, the Morton Grove resident said that if she could find the music, she would like to play more rock on her violin. But she is most looking forward to getting a good look at Wood’s Viper, his handcrafted 7-string fretted electric violin. It’s one of the models Wood’s company makes.

“It would be a lot of fun if I could get my hands on that violin,” said Erickson, who has played violin for nine years.

Students from Niles West High School, Culver Middle School, Lincoln Hall Middle School, Fairview South Middle School, Park View Middle School and Lincoln Junior High School will participate.

Katz decided to bring Wood to Niles West after first his son and then the whole family did music workshops with him.

“It’s cool to play rock music on the string instruments,” Katz said. “He gets the students involved and he gets them excited. This is taking string players away from the Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart they usually play – and play very well – and getting them to play the rock music they know.”

 Wood is an original member of the multiplatinum selling Trans-Siberian Orchestra and creator of the revolutionary Viper electric violin. He is a Juilliard-trained violinist and Emmy-winning composer who has worked with Lenny Kravitz, Billy Joel, Celine Dion, and many others.

He has been working to inspire young string players with “Electrify Your Strings!”, his groundbreaking music education program. As part of this year’s Electrify Your Strings! “Inferno Tour,” Wood will perform in concert with the Niles West students, who have been practicing for weeks, including a Presidents Day rehearsal.

Woods was to arrive at Niles West on Tuesday to spend three days preparing the students before the concert. He will teach the students improvisation, composition, and personal expression on their violins, violas, cellos and basses.

The concert will be at 7 p.m. today (Thursday) in the Niles West High School Auditorium, 5701 Oakton, Skokie. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and will be sold at the door.