electrify your symphony
What is Electrify Your Symphony?
Electrify Your Symphony (EYS) is a music education phenomenon that fires up students, teachers, and local communities by injecting a high voltage dose of rock and contemporary, American music into a school’s music education program. The intensive experience for orchestra, choir, and/or band boosts student self-esteem and motivation, increases school-wide, family and community engagement, and helps raise money for participating schools.
EYS visits upwards of 75 schools per year.
The organization has been featured on The Today Show, the CBS Evening News, and other media outlets. But for Wood it’s all about the students. “We know that music has the power to change lives and with EYS I have the opportunity to witness that at every workshop. You give a quiet string student an electric violin and they become a rock star before your eyes.” Wood continues, “It’s not about turning students into professional musicians –though if that’s the path they choose, great. It’s about empowering them to dream big, take chances and break down barriers so that they can achieve success in any field.”
Now celebrating its 26th anniversary of elevating music programs at schools and universities across the nation, the premise is simple – Wood works with a school’s music director to design a tailor-made one-to-two day rock orchestra makeover culminating in a live performance at the end of the experience.
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Profits from tickets sold to the event directly benefit the school’s music programs.
The musical selections are surprising – and include Wood’s own compositions and arrangements of classic rock and contemporary music such as Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway To Heaven,” and the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” For schools that want to go all out, Wood and his team (which include vocalist/wife Laura Kaye and their drummer/son Elijah) will also design an accompanying program for the school’s choral department and/or the band department.
