Emmy-winning composer and electric violinist Mark Wood performed part of his “Velocity” tour at Niles West Tuesday, Jan. 13. The tour consisted of two rehearsals and the night of the concert which included Niles North, Niles West, and the feeder middle school students.

Orchestra director Steven Katz praised the event.

“It was a great experience. This is the second time we’ve worked with Mark Wood and it’s an amazing opportunity to get the students out of their comfort zone. Good music is good music no matter what, we don’t get to play orchestra music in different styles that often and its a high level is a good challenge for the kids,” he said.

Wood travels around the United States to work with school orchestras big or small to inspire them to be creative and interact with different types of music.

“The three days were intense and enjoyed by many students,” junior Conor Hermer said.

The first rehearsal consisted of  the high school students where they spent two hours practicing four pieces that they’ve prepared for since their winter concert. An additional day was taken for the middle school students who joined in on the day of the concert.

The day of the concert consisted of repetitive rehearsals and uniting with the feeder middle schools to bring a great concert for parents, students, and residents.

“It was so great, an inspiring experience for all musicians,” junior Eric Drozd added.

The night consisted of rock classics like “Eleanor Rigby,” and  “Synchronicity” and several other numbers that included the full orchestra, electric violin and cello. Tickets were sold out and it was an experience for the students and the crowd. The audience interacted by putting flash on their phones to make a light show during one of the songs, the clapped and sang along to many songs.

The night was filled with electrifying, majestic music that brought the district 219 community together to share their musical interests.