Mark Powers, a percussion artist, educator and world traveler, will visit Cook County on Friday and Saturday, May 17 – 18. On Friday he will work with students at Great Expectations School in the classroom in a “Junk Jam” workshop, demonstrating how everyday objects can become musical instruments.
On Friday, May 17, Mark Powers will work with the students of Great Expectations School in classroom “Junk Jam” workshops, leading a hands-on experience in how everyday objects can become musical instruments.
Students will find that rhythm exists everywhere and that by working together they can discover music in their own environment, their own bodies, and even in the vocalization of their own names. The “Junk Jam” program is designed with the goals of promoting teamwork, nurturing creativity, and boosting self-esteem among youth.
The following evening, May 18, the community will be invited to the Arrowhead Center for the Arts to attend a free 7 p.m. concert (donations accepted), featuring Mark presenting “Junk Jam” with GES students, as well as a solo percussion performance.
Mark Powers is a percussion artist/ educator and world traveler who has performed and studied percussion in the U.S., Canada, Cuba, Puerto Rico, China, Thailand, and Ghana, West Africa. As an instructor, Mark teaches private percussion lessons and group hand-drumming classes. He works as an Artist-in-Residence at elementary, middle, and high schools —conducting “Junk Jam” workshops, teaching West African drumming styles, and directing percussion ensembles. He also facilitates “Rhythms at Work,” a corporate teambuilding workshop, and presents percussion-based Correctional Education programs in adult and juvenile facilities.
On Saturday, May 18, Powers will perform at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts with Great Expectations School.
Powers’ performing and recording credits cover the gamut of styles, including appearances with Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Devon Evans (Bob Marley and the Wailers), The Afrodisiacs, The Spazmatics, and Tim Ries (saxophonist for The Rolling Stones). He has opened for The Radiators, Buckwheat Zydeco, Junior Brown, Brave Combo, Pat Benatar, and many others.
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