Donald Knaack

Donald Knaack
Background information
Genres	Experimental Dance World Fusion Avant-garde Art rock
Occupations	Musician
Instruments	Recycled Materials as instruments of percussion music
Website	www.junkmusic.org

Donald Knaack is an American percussionist. He currently performs-on and composes-for recycled materials exclusively.

His album Junk Music was nominated for a Grammy award and he has played in many prominent venues worldwide, including Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Vans Warped Tour, The Sundance Film Festival, Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, Kansas City International Jazz Festival and more.

History

Knaack started as a conservatory-trained percussionist and was a member of the Louisville Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. During this time, he mentored with composer John Cage who incorporated found objects into some of his work. Knaack developed a unique style of composition and performance on recycled materials and in 1998 he released his first album Junk Music, which was nominated for a Grammy award. Since then, he has continued expanding the medium both doing solo performances, conducting large jam sessions on recycled materials, and doing educational programs, often including the construction of a sound sculpture composed of recycled materials called a Junk Music Playstation. He has also collaborated with a number of artists in other realms of the traditional arts including choreographer Twyla Tharp, remixer Jack D. Elliot, producer David Kahne, the New York University Steinhardt School, and several symphony orchestras. In 2005, two tracks of his album Junk Music 2 were used in three television commercials: one for Electronic Arts, one for the National Basketball Association and one for ESPN, directed by Mark Romanek. Knaack has also worked with numerous schools and community groups, teaching music and environmental citizenry. In 2006, he developed the HOP (Help Our Planet) program, which encourages students to take small steps to help better the state of the environment. Knaack is currently working with producer/remixer Jack D. Elliot in a music ensemble called Rhythm Recyclers... Old Beats... New Music - now preparing for a Summer '08 tour.

Discography

• 1966 - 1970: 22 recordings of contemporary music as a percussionist in The Louisville Orchestra - Louisville Orchestra Masterworks/Columbia
• 1974: Percussionist on Rothko Chapel/Morton Feldman - Columbia Records
• 1977: Cage/Duchamp (First Recordings, Solo percussion album) - Atlantic/Finnadar Records
• 1978: Three Constructions of John Cage (The Donald Knaack Percussion Ensemble) - Tomato Records
• 1980: Inside the Plastic Lotus (Duo recording with Peggy Knaack) - Hat Hut Records
• 1982: Dance Music (Solo Recording) - RRRecords
• 1998: Junk Music (Solo recording) - Moo Records
• 2004: Junk Music 2 (Solo recording) - Moo Records

Works

• 1996: Surfer at the River Styx - commissioned for The Kennedy Center & American Dance Festival and choreographer Twyla Tharp.
• 2003: The Environmental Continuum - concerto for recycled materials and orchestra commissioned for the Eastern Music Festival, Louisville Youth Orchestra and Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra.
• 2006: Odin: The Opera - opera for spoken word and 10 recycled materials percussionists that premiered at New York University's Loewe Theatre.^[1]
• 2007: The Lost Civilization - musical featuring dramatic elements, traditional and recycled materials instruments and recorded content that premiered at Burr & Burton Academy in Manchester, VT.

References

1. ^ Midgette, Anne (17 April 2006). "Donald Knaack's 'Odin': Mythos, to the Beat, Beat, Beat of the Wok Top". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/17/arts/music/17odin.html?_r=1. Retrieved 14 July 2010. 

External links

• Donald Knaack's official website

Persondata
Name	Knaack, Donald
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