Faculty

Recording artist, performer, producer, inventor, Emmy-winning composer and music education advocate Mark Wood has spent the past four decades electrifying the orchestra industry – literally.

Dubbed “The Les Paul of The Violin World” by PBS, the Juilliard-trained violinist (he attended on full scholarship) first turned the string establishment on its head in the early 1970’s with his invention of the first solid body electric violin. His company Wood Violins is the premier manufacturer of electric violins, violas and cellos worldwide and he holds the patent for the first-ever self-supporting violin. The company stands behind its claim to have made the most important change to the violin in 400 years and is often referred to as the “Stradivarius of electric violins.”

Wood is a world-renowned performer who rose to fame as string master and founding member of the internationally acclaimed Trans Siberian Orchestra. A successful solo artist in his own right, Wood writes and records original music for film and television, has released six solo albums, and tours with his band The Mark Wood Experience (MWE). His commission credits include The Juilliard School and extensive TV broadcast music including The Winter Olympics and The Tour de France (for which he won an Emmy).

Wood has collaborated with and appeared alongside some of the biggest names in music such as Lenny Kravitz, Celine Dion, and Kanye West. As a member of his touring band, Wood had the honor of performing with the legendary Billy Joel for both historic final concerts at Shea stadium, sharing the stage with Paul McCartney, Steven Tyler, and Roger Daltry. He also starred in a Kanye West produced national Pepsi TV commercial and has appeared on the world’s most venerable stages including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Madison Square Garden.

But his true passion is music education. His program Electrify Your Strings (EYS) – now in its 15th year – is an intensive rock and roll workshop for school music education departments that boosts student self-esteem and motivation and helps raise money for music education. EYS visits upwards of 60 schools per year and has been featured on The Today Show, CBS Evening News, and in countless local media outlets.

With hundreds of thousands students reached, millions of dollars raised to help school music departments across the US, and dozens of school orchestra programs saved from the chopping block because of funds raised through his efforts, Mark Wood has proven himself a man of ideas, action and results. Showing no signs of slowing down, the multi faceted visionary continues to write, perform, record, invent and inspire. As a matter of fact, Mark Wood is just getting started…

Connect with Mark:
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
Instagram

MARK LEADS THE ZEPPELIN ORCHESTRA – What to expect in his classes:

“The fretted violin” featuring Bach
Improvisation 101
Electric strings and effects
Viperisms: Exploring the art of the Viper
How to utilize distortion with strings
The art of the solo – 2/4/8/16 bars
Blues and pentatonics
How to use your ears
Leading the Zeppelin Orchestra, for advanced players

MWROC’s Executive Director Lisa Batson has gained a reputation as a creative and dynamic orchestra director in the Houston area. Presently, she is an orchestra director at Space Center Intermediate School where she built the program to include approximately 200 students. SCIS has won consecutive UIL sweepstakes, been a finalist in the Texas State Honor Orchestra competition numerous times, and has been invited to perform at the state Capitol in Austin for the “Go Arts Day” three times. The Space Center Orchestras have enjoyed performing concerts along side Mark Wood. Lisa also coordinated a weeklong district Electrify Your Strings! event that included over 1,200 students with the entire Mark Wood Experience with an audience of over 5,000.

She was also a conductor with the Greater Houston Youth Orchestra and currently conducts and is the Artistic Director of the Bay Area Youth Symphony. As the founder of “Sizzling Strings Summer Camp” in the Houston area, Lisa encourages string students to study jazz and rock styles. She received her Bachelor of Music Education from the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam. After completing her degree, she was awarded a full teaching assistantship at Kent State University where she earned a Master degree in Music Education with a concentration in string pedagogy. Feel free to email Lisa any time with questions about MWROC!

MWROC’s Assistant Director Janette Hess is the orchestra director for Clear Creek ISD’s Science Magnet School, Seabrook Intermediate, which is located in the heart of NASA’s Mission Control. Under her direction, the Seabrook orchestras have tripled in size. Superior ratings at festivals and competitions are the norm for Seabrook. Janette’s program is truly out of this world now that they have performed for the Astronauts on the International Space Station!

She earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education from Kent State University where she studied cello with Moshe Amitay. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Management from the University of Houston Clear Lake. Organization is a gift; as she has served as Region 17 orchestra division chairman, organized several district-wide orchestra festivals for the beginning orchestra students, and served on numerous campus and district-level committees. In her free time she is a mom to 2 active teen-agers and is an avid runner & swimmer.

MWROC’s 2014 staff includes the following incredible musicians!

DBR (aka Daniel Roumain) is the newest addition to the MRWOC 2014 faculty and we could not be happier! His acclaimed work as a composer and a performer has spanned more than two decades, and has been commissioned by venerable artists and institutions worldwide. Proving that he’s “about as omnivorous as a contemporary artist gets” (New York Times), Roumain is perhaps the only composer whose collaborations span the worlds of Philip Glass, Cassandra Wilson, Bill T. Jones, Savion Glover and Lady Gaga.

Roumain has performed with countless symphony orchestras in some of the most prestigious venues in the world. Additionally, DBR’s music has been performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, Des Moines Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Memphis Symphony, New World Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Noord Nederlands Orkest, and the Vancouver Symphony, among many others. His most recent orchestral work, Dancers, Dreamers, and Presidents, is a 2010 Sphinx Commissioning prize and is being performed at many orchestras of an esteemed consortia.

Roumain was the first artist to be awarded Arizona State University’s prestigious Gammage Residency, “a three-year commitment to an extraordinary performing artist that includes performance, creative time and resources, intensive training for ASU students and local artists and engagement with many of the local communities.” His outreach and residencies have garnered extravagant praise and long-term relationships with countless universities, orchestras, and performing arts centers He served as Chair of the Music Composition/Theory Department and Composer-in-Residence at The Harlem School of the Arts.

Recent work includes a third commission for the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Symphony for the Dance Floor), and a new work for the Atlanta Ballet (Home in 7) in collaboration with the choreographer Amy Seiwert and the poet Marc Bamuthi Joseph. Roumain has recently performed at The Macau International Music Festival, Ten Days in Tasmania, Central Park SummerStage, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and the Sydney Opera House.

Roumain earned his doctorate in Music Composition from the University of Michigan under the tutelage of William Bolcom and Michael Daugherty.

Find out more about DBR:
www.danielroumain.com
www.facebook.com/dbrmusic
www.twitter.com/DBRmusic
www.soundcloud.com/danielroumain

“What to expect in DBR’s classes” coming soon!

Rachel Barton Pine - It’s easy to be intimidated by the sheer immensity of Rachel Barton Pine’s accomplishments. The young Chicago based violinist has performed on stages all over the world in front of hundreds of thousands of people, released 13 albums, won countless prestigious awards, and played with musicians ranging from Placido Domingo to Jimmy Page. Yet throughout her career, Rachel has worked to demystify classical music and bring it to audiences for whom it has not been easily accessible. Groups as various as inner city children, sports fans, music students in developing countries, and even her fellow rock fans have been enriched by Rachel’s devotion to music and the infectious enthusiasm with which she shares it. Rachel performs with orchestras all over the world, as well as with many of rock’s biggest names.

Rachel’s new album Violin Lullabies debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Traditional Classical Albums chart, as No.1 on the Amazon Best Selling Classical List, and as No.2 on the US iTunes Bestselling Classical list!

In between performances in revered classical music venues the world over, Rachel also tours with her metal band, Earthen Grave.

As a young virtuoso, she uses her fame to extol the virtues of ALL genres of music – and her Viper helps her spread the word!

Find out more about Rachel Barton Pine:
www.rachelbartonpine.com
www.facebook.com/rachelbartonpineviolinist

What to expect in Rachel’s classes:

Thrash 101 – learning some of the most challenging and fun riffs to your favorite metal tunes
Rocking Out Unplugged
Monster Shredding – to keep your chops in shape
World’s Greatest Cover Band – how to arrange your favorite tunes for a chamber ensemble

MWROC is thrilled to welcome Judy Kang for a very special master class and performance in honor of our 5 Year Anniversary.

Judy Kang is unlike any violinist you’ve ever heard. “Most likely the only musician to have worked with both Pierre Boulez and Lady Gaga,” as the New York Times put it, Kang marries lively, evocative classical playing with such disparate influences as Bjork-inspired vocals, indie, electronica and hip-hop. Her multi-instrumental compositions, rooted in a love of classical and chamber music, explore how to make violin music for modern audiences in beautiful and often surprising ways.

At 19, she earned her Masters Degree at Juilliard. And if that wasn’t achievement enough, she went on to become the first graduate, with high honors, of the prestigious Artist Diploma at the Manhattan School of Music.

Achievements and accolades have been rolling in since: a place in Academy Award-winning composer and electronic music pioneer Ryuichi Sakamoto’s trio, a sold-out debut at Carnegie Hall and a spot on Lady Gaga’s MonsterBall World Tour. In her studies, and in collaborating with a wide variety of artists, Judy has made her life’s work a project in which music is both personal and non-traditional.

Connect with Judy on her Facebook page.

What to expect in Judy’s master class:

Judy’s unique approach to great classical pieces
Shredding and jamming tips and tricks
Fascinating stories about her journey as she progressed and evolved from the classical world to indie, rock, and pop
An evening performance featuring a medley of Lady Gaga songs (and maybe even a Shred-Off Jam with Mark Wood!)

Joe Deninzon has been hailed by critics as “The Jimi Hendrix of the Violin” because of his innovative style on the electric seven-string violin and his compositions combining jazz and rock with Gypsy influences. A musician who transcends many genres, he has worked with Sheryl Crow, Bruce Springsteen, Phoebe Snow, Everclear, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Smokey Robinson, Aretha Franklin, Robert Bonfiglio, and Les Paul among many others. He has also performed as a solo electric violinist with the New York City Ballet for Richard Einhorn’s “Red Angels.” and has performed, co-written, and musically directed the of Broadway show, “Spider Dance” with percussionist Alessandra Belloni.

Joe is the lead singer and violinist for the band, Stratospheerius, who have just released their fifth CD, “The Next World,” on Steve Vai’s Digital Nations label, and were named “Best Jam Band” in the Musician’s Atlas Independent Music Awards. He can be heard on over a hundred CD’s and jingles as a violinist and string arranger.

A 12-time BMI Jazz Composer’s grant recipient and a winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, his original music has been featured on CMT, MTV VH1, Comedy Central, National Geographic, the Travel Channel, the History Channel, and most recently, the Will Ferrell/Adam McKay-produced film “Virginity Hit”. Joe has released a CD with his Acoustic Jazz Trio featuring guitarist Steve Benson and bassist Bob Bowen, entitled “Exuberance”. He is also a member of the Sweet Plantain String Quartet, which combines classical, jazz, hip-hop, and Latin styles.

What to expect in Joe’s classes:

Fiddlefunk: Using the violin in a funk or hip-hop band
Rhytholin: Chopping, scratching, and comping on the violin
The “Effective” Violinist: Working with effects in a solo or composition
Fusion Violin: Mahavishnu, Jean-Luc Ponty, and original songs.
Singing and playing/ arranging violin parts around vocals
Rocking out your string quartet

Bridgid Bibbens is a classically-trained violinist who has performed with major artists in the rock, pop and jazz worlds, such as Christina Aguilera, Tommy Lee, Mary J Blige, Jay-Z, John Mayer, Alicia Keys, Josh Groban, and Harry Connick, Jr. Television appearances include NBC’s Today Show, the CBS Early Show and The Late Show with David Letterman. She’s played to sold-out audiences in major venues throughout the US, including Madison Square Garden and Boston’s Banknorth Garden. She’s also performed with Mark Wood and the Mark Wood Experience on numerous occasions, including a video for PBS and performances at the 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012 NAMM shows in Anaheim, CA.

Bridgid was also recently featured in an interview in Guitar World magazine and has been featured in ads for Bugera amps in Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar Legends, and several other magazines, proving yet again that the Viper is poised and ready to infiltrate and dominate the mainstream rock world!

Bridgid has been trained intensively by Mark Wood using his groundbreaking educational methods in conjunction with his Electrify Your Strings!™ series of music education programs. She now travels the country with her Viper, sharing her passion for music of all genres with orchestra students in public schools all over the country.

Connect with Bridgid:
Website
Facebook

BRIDGID LEADS THE BEATLES ORCHESTRA - What to expect in Bridgid’s classes:

Classes for teachers utilizing Mark’s “Electrify Your Strings” method book on how to incorporate improvisation and rock into the public school orchestra classroom and the private studio
Leading the Beatles Orchestra, for beginners and intermediate players

Sean Grissom has been an integral part of the MWROC faculty since our inception. We’re thrilled to announce that he’s returning for MWROC 2014!

Internationally known as the Cajun Cellist, has performed his unique brand of Country, Cajun, Classical, Swing, and Rock music from the streets and subways of New York City to the concert halls of Europe and the Far East. “O’Cello” – his hit one-man show – runs the gamut of musical tastes and vaudeville humor… proving that you can NEVER have enough cello! Sean has been on the forefront of the ‘Alternative Styles’ development, and has performed at World and American Cello Congresses, as well as numerous festivals. He is an active board member of the Violoncello Society, and is on the board of the New Directions Cello Association.

On the rock front, Sean has been performing in original music groups since he first starting playing on the streets of New York. He has played all of the clubs in New York from CBGB’s to Webster Hall and beneath Madison Square Garden. He did three tours with his final mentor – Papa John Creach, of The Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna- both here and in Europe. Because there is ALWAYS room for cello, he has performed and recorded with many of New York City’s singer/songwriters.

What to expect in Sean’s classes:

Cello explorations
Cajun styles and fiddle styles on cello
Unique arrangements of all styles of songs for cello
A spectacularly great time

Tracy Silverman - Lauded by the BBC as “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin”, Tracy’s groundbreaking work with the 6-string electric violin defies musical boundaries. The world’s first concert electric violinist, Silverman was recently named one of 100 distinguished alumni by The Juilliard School. Formerly first violinist with the innovative Turtle Island String Quartet, Silverman premiered “The Palmian Chord Ryddle”, written for him by legendary composer Terry Riley, with the Nashville Symphony at Carnegie Hall in 2012.

Silverman has worked with a who’s-who of rock, new music, and jazz, including Pulitzer winner John Adams, who composed his electric violin concerto, “The Dharma at Big Sur,” specifically for Tracy, recorded on Nonesuch Records with the BBC Symphony. Silverman tours internationally as a soloist with orchestras, with his one-man performances, and as a collaborator with many other artists and chamber ensembles.

Tracy teaches at Belmont University and Vanderbilt University and lives in Nashville, TN.

Connect with Tracy:
Website
Facebook

What to expect in Tracy’s classes:

Strum Bowing – Tracy’s method of rhythm bowing techniques
Blue Strings – A simple and slightly choreographed and lyricized approach to the blues
How to Jam – How to jam outside the fiddle tradition of jamming; jamming with a jazz or rock band
Playing Over Jazz Chords – Learning how to use inner melodies in jazz chords as the basis for creating a solo

Chuck Bontrager uses his Viper to play lower than most cellos and louder than most guitars in Chicago-based bands Vicarious TOOL Tribute, KAZY, and Tributosaurus. You can also find him playing “regular” with the Lake Forest Symphony, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Joffrey Ballet Orchestra, and the occasional Broadway in Chicago production; and he teaches at the Merit School of Music and Columbia College.

Band bio: Vicarious TOOL Tribute re-creates and re-interprets the wide spectrum of Tool’s musical and visual language with respect and originality, using alternate instrumentation to produce literal and re-imagined song versions. Their live shows integrate original visual elements with their take on Tool’s already arresting presentation. Lineups vary according to the venue, but they are known to incorporate disciplines such as video projections, tribal and belly dance, burlesque, and circus arts. Transcending familiarity with Tool, and even interest in heavy music, Vicarious creates a truly unique and mesmerizing audience experience.

Connect with Chuck:
Facebook

What to expect in Chuck’s classes:

Using your axe in a Metal Band – gear, techniques, and attitudes
Insane Gain – finding and using an uber-distorted sound
Re-Ruption – learning, adapting, and expanding iconic guitar solos
Be The Band – transcribing the charts and leading the string section on the next big tribute show
Surviving The Four-Gig Day – tips and tricks for the modern multi-style freelance instrumentalist

Matt Vanacoro is a graduate of Manhattanville College’s music program and NYU’s prestigious Music Technology program, and is a skilled pianist and composer with a strong background in contemporary music and jazz. Always a dynamic performer, Matt has studied jazz piano and guitar with New York Jazz Legends Charles Blenzig and Jay Azzolina.

Matt has integrated his love of composing and theory with his keyboard skills to craft the perfect fit for a myriad of live situations. He has performed, recorded and collaborated with local and national touring acts up and down the east coast in a range of styles from pop sensation Aaron Carter, NY jazz vocalist Amy Regan, Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater, Mark Rivera of Billy Joel and numerous others.

His music has been featured in television and film, from Oprah Winfrey’s television show to films by Lionsgate. Matt’s biggest influences as a musician are Trey Anastasio of Phish, Chick Corea and Al DiMeola of Return to Forever, and Herbie Hancock / Thelonious Monk. He endorses Nord Keyboards, Traveler Guitars, Gator Cases, Morely Wah Pedals and Source Audio distortion pedals.

Connect with Matt on Facebook

What to expect in Matt’s classes:

Keys/computer programming
Composing and arranging using the latest technology available
Jazz Improvisation
Dry humor with a dark twist

Dr. David Wallace - The New York Times compares David’s solo improvisations to “Jimmy Page fronting Led Zeppelin.” After many years of being a faculty member at the Juilliard School of Music in NYC, Doc Wallace is now the Chair of the Strings Department at Berklee College of Music. A Senior Teaching Artist for the New York Philharmonic, David is an internationally-touring musician; an award-winning composer; a Grammy-nominated performer; and a master teaching artist who has performed, consulted, and authored curricula for dozens of performing arts institutions.

A short list of David’s clients and presenters includes Carnegie Hall, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the Tanglewood Music Festival, Young Audiences, Midori and Friends, and the Pittsburgh Symphony.

Known for his mastery of eclectic styles ranging from all classical genres to fiddling, rock, and free jazz, David has also gained widespread acclaim for his ability to connect with audiences in diverse community settings. Never content to let music remain in the concert hall, David actively brings his artistry to schools, hospitals, psychiatric facilities, homeless shelters, houses of worship, and prisons. Symphony Magazine declares his book Reaching Out: A Musician’s Guide to Interactive Performance “an invaluable manual for all musicians, classical or otherwise.”

David’s Texas-style string band, The Doc Wallace Trio, is celebrating its 15th year. Hear more at CD Baby. Watch videos of David’s electrifying performances from MWROC 2011 on YouTube

What to expect in David’s classes:

Improvising in the free jazz context of New York’s downtown scene
Playing the blues and soloing effectively
Learning to play Nahum: An Apocalyptic Prophesy for Electric Viola
Gaining shortcuts and secrets to better tone and technique
Developing compositional and creative ability

Paul Ranieri was born in New York City and raised in a musical and artistic environment. He started studying music and playing bass at age 11. Influenced early on by the music from cartoons, science fiction and monster movies; and then later by all the greatest rock, funk, and jazz bass players, Paul is now involved in many diverse musical projects and has developed a melodically ferocious and powerful playing style all his own.

With a degree in Jazz Performance from New York’s New School University and Mannes College of Music, Paul’s talents encompass a high level of technical expertise and professionalism. Paul is currently the bassist for producer, inventor, Emmy Award-winning composer, and highly acclaimed international recording artist Mark Wood, and has been touring the US with Mark’s “Electrify Your Strings” series of music education programs; working alongside Mark to participate in the creation of rock orchestras with student musicians at schools and universities across the nation.

Paul has been a teacher and music educator since 1990, having taught at San Diego’s only professional bass shop and music school; Bass Alone and at Sam Ash Music University and also has a successful private teaching practice. Paul is also leader of the band Dangered Ace, whose debut CD “GoTenGo” was recently release to great acclaim.

Connect with Paul:
Website

What to expect in Paul’s classes:

Modern Bass playing concepts and dexterity including developing your ability to play in all styles and handle all rhythms.
Your Partner in Crime – Playing with the drummer and being able to think as they do and match their playing.
Electric Bass Improvisation – Improving both your technique and increase your musical knowledge.
Slapping Techniques – How to apply modern slapping to any string instrument including special techniques like “The Ranieri Theory”.

(photo by Bob Gruen)

Vocalist Laura Kaye has a lyricism and musicality all her own and is a rock and roll chanteuse whose take-no-prisoners voice invokes the likes of Steven Tyler and Aretha Franklin.

Over the course of a musical career that began when she was a teenager, Laura is Vice President and co-owner of Electrify Your Strings, Mark Wood Music Productions, Mark Wood Rock Orchestra Camp, Wood Violins, she is the powerhouse vocalist in the Mark Wood Experience (MWE), and is also Mark’s wife. Along with their son Elijah (MWE’s drummer), Laura and Mark have toured extensively with the EYS program for 15 years.

As a recording artist and session vocalist, Laura has worked with legendary musicians such as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz and Sean Lennon and been featured on countless television shows and advertisements. Laura is also a solo musician who continues to write, record, and perform.

Laura adds the Electrify Your Choir component to EYS programs; and works with choir students, coaching them for the performance and auditioning soloists to be featured during their concert events. She empowers each student she works with by encouraging them to cultivate their own unique style; and by teaching them performance techniques, stage presence, and improvisational tips and tricks. But above all, she helps all her students to tap into their individual creative potential!

Connect with Laura:
Website
Facebook

What to expect in Laura’s classes:

Performance tips and tricks
Vocal techniques that will give you stamina and strength
Every singer’s essential arsenal for vocal health
How to own the spotlight and the stage
Methods to get you functioning on a high creative level
Private mini-lessons are available throughout the week

(photo by Robert M. Knight)

Elijah Wood is a gifted, hard-working, in-demand drummer who is fast becoming one of the next generation’s “best of the best.” At only 18 years old, Elijah is definitely an artist to keep an eye out for.

The rising star has been surrounded by music and the arts throughout his entire life. His grandfather was a painter, his grandmother a concert pianist, his mother a professional vocalist, and his father a violinist and founding member of Trans?Siberian Orchestra.

Elijah has been the drummer in The Mark Wood Experience since 2006, is an integral part of Mark’s Electrify Your Strings! (EYS) music education program, and has performed in front of thousands of people in a wide variety of performance settings over the years. He is a member of indie electro-rock pop band Exist Elsewhere and appears on their new EP “Beginnings.”

As a mentor to the young music makers involved in the EYS program, Elijah coaches the drummers and percussionists. As a peer, he influences them by the choices he’s made and the way he performs. And, as a role model, Elijah is an advocate for music education— all of which are responsibilities he gladly accepts.

With a strong musical foundation, a rapidly growing international fan base and a constant commitment to reaching the next level, Elijah is well on his way to becoming a successful and influential drummer, musician and artist.

Elijah is MWROC’s official drummer. This year, he will be teaching rhythm classes.

Connect with Elijah:
Facebook
Website
YouTube
Instagram and Twitter – @elijahwoodmusic

Steve Costello joins MWROC this year as our guitar hero! In addition to Steve’s classes, he and partner-in-crime Elijah Wood will be joining forces to provide some great learning experience for our campers.

Hard-hitting original rock songs driven by classic guitar licks and heavy riffs are what Steve Costello has always strived for. And in the years since playing the Northern Ontario bar circuit at the age of 13, he has more than adequately proven his ability to rock with the best of them. Now 22, Steve has travelled across the U.S. and Europe doing what he loves best: entertaining. And whether it be in his rapidly growing solo career, playing guitar for The Mark Wood Experience or his involvement with the Electrify Your Strings! program in schools across America, Steve continues to impress audiences around the world.

As a teen building his chops, Steve found inspiration in the work of artists like Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age and Joe Bonamassa; but his earliest influences were the legends—Zeppelin, Hendrix, Clapton—and it is from these British Blues roots, along with elements of Rock, Grunge and Steve’s own considerable gift of invention, that he has managed to forge a fresh, signature sound. And nowhere is this sound better demonstrated than in his debut solo album, Steve Costello – Vol. 1, a powerhouse collection of 7 originals and a rockin’ cover of the Willie Dixon classic, “Evil.” [Click on the video link for a smokin' performance of "Evil" featuring Steve with Elijah Wood.]

With a never waning commitment to his music and a rapidly growing international fan base, Steve is doing whatever it takes to become a successful musician. He has shown time and again that he can rise to any challenge, and will continue to grow and express himself with an unrelenting passion for music.

Connect with Steve:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube

Steve Costello’s Master Classes of Awesome include:

Improvising and songwriting to create original licks and riffs
Tools and techniques you’ll need for rock playing and performance
Exploring famous solos
The art of playing with a rhythm section
Tricks and effects: effect pedals, distortion, and more!

Joe Domjan has been Mark Wood’s partner in crime over at Wood Violins for over 20 years. As the shop manager and head luthier, Joe is a true artist in every sense of the word and masterfully designs and builds our Vipers, Stingrays, Sabres, and Cobras. Bringing with him over 30 years experience as a guitar and bass tech, Joe is a guitarist and bass player in his own right. He spent 15 years working in a traditional acoustic violin repair shop, where he mainly focused on school and rental repairs. “It was like working in a MASH unit,” Joe says of that time in his life. “Lots of casualties with very little time.”

Joe bring his expertise and his sense of humor to his classes at MWROC, where you will participate in building an electric violin and learn how to master the maintenance of your own acoustic or electric instrument.

See Joe’s work at the Wood Violins website.

www.woodviolins.com

Nathan Blake joins us this year to add a very special class on stage movement for our campers.

Nathan Blake is a YouTube sensation in the Zumba world, with over 2 million views for his dance videos posted from classes he’s given in more than 40 countries and 6 continents. His well-earned Zumba nickname is “Mister Worldwide” and his upbeat, high-energy, charismatic teaching style has gained him a devoted and loyal following.

Blake has performed onstage with Beto Perez (the creator of Zumba) as a back up dancer for several Zumba national conventions, and appears at every major Zumba event, both nationally and internationally, including those held in Australia, Germany, France, and Sweden. Most recently, Blake was in the Czech Republic assisting Beto and the Zumba team with his energetic warmup routines.

Nathan has a performing arts degree from Hofstra University and also attended a 2-year dance intensive program at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In addition to his work in the field of Zumba and cardio dance, Blake also performs annually with the Scottish Ballet in Glasglow.

Blake currently teaches classes in dance, fitness, kick-boxing, and more in the New York area, and is a true leader his field; having developed his own unique approach called “The Blake Experience.”

Connect with Nathan:
Facebook

What to expect in Nathan’s classes:

Build Your Toolbox of Movement: identifying and embracing your own unique performance style
Sing With Your Body: become a more fluid “mover”
Spacial Awareness: exercises to help you interact effectively with others onstage
Dance party Friday night!

This list is subject to change at any time.