Artists & Communities Host Site: Lawton Arts and Humanities Council
P.O. Box 1054
Lawton, OK 73502

Millennium Artist:
Donald Knaack
Composer and Percussionist
Vermont
E-mail: junkman@vermontel.com
Web site: www.vermontel.com/~junkman

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Although the goal of being cited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest public JunkJam remained elusive, the residents of Lawton, Oklahoma enthusiastically joined with JunkMan and Millennium Artist Donald Knaack in celebrating 'fascinating rhythm' during his Artists & Communities residency with the Lawton Arts and Humanities Council.

Beginning as a clasically-trained musician, Don Knaack discovered the possibilities of experimental percussive instrumentation while an artist in residence at the Cetner for Creative and Performing Arts at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Since then, he has devoted himself to composing, recording, and performing his trademark JunkMusic nationally and internationally.

Describing his work, Knaack says, "taking a discarded object that once had a specific function, and transforming that object into a sound-producing object has both a great recycling message as well as a fresh innovative sound from which I can create a new music…."

During Knaack's three-month residency in Lawton, he conducted weekly percussion workshops with the Dunbar Neighborhood Association, the Center for Creative Living, Taft Alternative School, Goodwill Industries, and the community of Medicine Park. Single sessions were also held at a number of local schools.

Lawton is home to the national Percussive Arts Society Museum, whose partnership helped to promote awareness of Knaack's residency activities and vision for the record-making JunkJam.

Workshop participants were introduced to the idea of using recycled materials - boxes, buckets, hubcaps, pan lids - as percussion instruments. They then explored traditional and contemporary drumming techniques, learning that anyone - regardless of musical experience or talent - can contribute to the mix of rhythms that develop in JunkJams around a central beat.

Knaack worked with residents and local organizations to source potential percussion "instruments," and helped construct a series of permanent sound sculptures or "playstations" of recycled materials. The sculptures subsequently provided the focus for a series of mini-JunkJams leading to a culminating event held at the Percussive Arts Society Museum as part of their December 2000 Holiday Happenings.

MILLENNIUM ARTIST BIO

Donald Knaack is a composer, percussionist, and performance artist (a.k.a. "The Junkman") who uses junk and discarded materials to create "Junk Music ©" projects and sculptures for dance companies, concerts, festivals, children and adult audiences, schools and colleges, film scores, business seminars, and community projects worldwide.