THE JUNKMAN COMES TO CLIFTON PARK, NY – 14 AUGUST, 2024 Halfmoon, NY—— The Junkman is the original recycled materials percussionist. The Junkman transcends all traditional musical genres as proven by performances with Eminem, The Black Eyed Peas, & Phish, rave reviews for his work with choreographer Twyla Tharp, commissions and performances at The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Grinigog, B’Love, Llangollen Musical Eisteddfod, The Great Went, United Nation’s Conference on Climate Change, Lemonwheel, Sundance Film Festival. And his music has appeared on worldwide television commercials for Nike, The NBA, ESPN, Electronic Arts, Airbnb, and PowerDot amongst others. You can catch the infectious grooves of Junk Music with The Junkman at the summer stage in the Town of Clifton Park, NY on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 for a Family Concert beginning at 7pm. The Junkman has always dedicated a segment of his work to Children and Families. “I firmly believe that the future of the world, be it the health of our physical environment or how we show respect in our personal environments, will be molded and shepherded by today’s children and youth”, says The Junkman. Knaack’s HOP (Help Our Planet Environmental Educational Initiative has won several awards of excellence and has been taught in schools throughout the US, Canada, and abroad (including the UK, Europe, China, Korea, and Dubai). Many of the Enviro-Chants from his HOP program will be the focus of the audience-wide Junkjam that punctuates all his live performances. Press and media interviews are welcomed. Please contact Amy Meade <amy@junkmusic.online> for further information or to make interview appointments.

In advance of the release of the Halloween-themed dance track “Abracadabra Again” on Friday, September 1, here is the official video.

UK composer Elizabeth (Lizzy) Westcott has hired The Junkman to be the Technical Music Consultant for her new family music theatre production for the Bristol Old Vic in Bristol, United Kingdom. The musical work is adapted from Izzy Gizmo book series by author Pip Jones. The stage sets will be a massive Rube Goldberg style sound-set of gizmos – all made from reused materials. I will be assisting Lizzy in the selection of reused materials for each of the various songs in the musical. The idea is to integrate specific reused material sounds into this large sound set. This will enable Izzy the ability to accompany herself on the sound set of gizmos as she sings songs live throughout the show. More on this super fun project later!!

STORYJAMS

A NEW AND EXCITING INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE!

The Junkman (Donald Knaack) has collaborated with the critically acclaimed author of thirteen traditionally published mystery novels, Amy Patricia Meade, to bring a unique storytelling/music program to students of all ages. Called Storyjams, the classroom workshop inspires children to create their own stories while simultaneously teaching them about story structure, sound color, and how rhythm and music can enhance a written narrative or tell a story all its own. Amy’s section of the program meets the majority of NYS Anchor Standards for Writing. Donald Knaack’s portion meets the majority of NYS Music Anchor Standards. Workshops are interactive with each student creating a story to either read aloud or share on the classroom story tree. A jam session & a question and answer session will follow each workshop.

Duration of each classroom presentation is 30 to 45 minutes dependent upon student age and scheduling constraints.

One full day (6-8 classes) of workshops: $1,000.00

The most comprehensive and analytical work that ever been produced on The Junkman’s life and work:

https://medium.com/noods-radio/donald-knaack-producing-the-environment-83b5a1eef765

After nearly five years in the UK, The Junkman is back in the United States! Settling in New York State’s Capital region, The Junkman has spent the first half of 2022 performing school residencies in New Hampshire and St Johnsbury, Vermont, and concert performances in Boston, MA and Binghamton, NY.

This continues the momentum that he created on “the other side of the pond.”

From 2017 to 2021, The Junkman lived worked in the UK under a Tier One Exceptional Talent Visa. During this time, he completed a seven-month residency of concerts, workshops, and interactive exhibits at Cockington Court, Torquay and presented concert performances at various schools, universities, and museums throughout the country, including a weekend celebration at the birthplace of environmentalist and “Father of the US National Parks” John Muir in Dunbar, Scotland. He participated in festivals such as Llangollen International Music Eisteddfod, Basingstoke B’Love, and Grinigog, and designed, constructed, and jammed upon a series of four sound sculptures for Imagine Watford.

In 2018, The Junkman® was appointed Artistic Education Ambassador for the UNESCO English Riviera Global Geopark, UK. He also hosted his fifth annual Global Junkjam from the English Riviera Global Geopark in Torquay as he was joined by pupils in Global Geoparks in Germany, New Zealand, Romania, Iran, and China – all via Google Hangouts.. This event was featured on the BBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da5n1w_3g3s

In 2020, The Junkman was awarded a grant from the EU which enabled him to work with the Bristol Robotics Laboratory in the development of a robotic percussion orchestra that has subsequently been dubbed “Cubert.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTYKjPMaJGI

The Junkman is currently accepting bookings for the 2022-2023 season.

Last week, The Junkman opened the Boston Blooms Summer Street Block Party with an hour long concert. His performance was sponsored by The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture, and The Boston Globe.

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The Junkman recently returned home to the US after five years living and working in the United Kingdom under a Tier One Exceptional Talent Visa. Numerous concerts and workshops in schools ,universities, and museums throughout the country, as well as a six month residency at Cockington Court outside Torquay on the English Riviera in which he offered concerts, workshops, artist encounters, as well as a very successful two month interactive installation of his Junk Music Playstations made from kitchen utensils in the Court’s Kitchen Gallery. He also created a prize–winning interactive sound sculpture for the Court’s sculpture trail made from auto parts and highway signs.

He also spent one and one half years at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory working alongside Chief Engineer Nathan Churchill designing and creating a seventeen independent voice percussion robot. This robot is fully programmable and  MIDI driven. The laboratory is located at the University Western England (UWE) in Bristol. The entire project was fully funded by the EU (European Union). This robot will be the percussion orchestra that accompanies Thor in Knaack’s upcoming opera, Odin, then and now.

And last but not least, The Junkman performed concerts and workshops throughout the country at festivals including, Grinigog, Basingstoke B’ Love Festival, The MAC (Midlands Arts Centre) in Birmingham, and the Dunbar Civic Week, and Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in Scotland.

The Junkman has completed “Cubert,” a 17-voice, automated “robotic” percussion instrument utilizing 17 individual reused materials made from plastic, wood, metal, and glass. Each voice is activated by a small mallet head coming into contact with an object via a solenoid or a motor. The voices are activated by a MIDI interface that is open and fully programmable.

“Cubert” was conceived and designed by The Junkman and realized at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) by Nathan Churchill, senior engineer, and his staff. It was a SABRE Technical Development Project funded by a generous grant from the European Union Regional Development Fund. 

“Cubert” will provide the sole instrumental accompaniment for Thor in The Junkman‘s upcoming opera Odin, then and now. The Junkman will also utilize “Cubert” in many of his solo concerts.

The newest episode of Salvage Super Sounds episode is all about the ringing, the clanging, the pinging, and the clanking as The Junkman goes METAL!