Donald Knaack is an American percussionist. He performs on and composes for

recycled Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...

materials exclusively. His album ''Junk Music'' was nominated for a Grammy Award, and he has played in many prominent venues worldwide, including the Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, the Vans Warped Tour, the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...

, the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, the Kansas City International Jazz Festival and more.

Biography

Donald Knaack (aka ''The Junkman'') is a classically trained percussionist and composer who has used recycled materials as his instruments of music since long before the eco-green movement was cool. He calls it ''Junk Music'' and it all began with his mentor and collaborator,

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...

encouraged the further development of his attraction to the sounds of found objects. He's performed at Lincoln Center, The Van's Warped Tour (with

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

Black Eyed Peas Black Eyed Peas (also known as The Black Eyed Peas) is an American musical group consisting of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo (rapper), Taboo. The group's line-up during the height of their popularity in the 2000s featured Fergie (singer ...

and Blink-182),

The United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

, The Kennedy Center,

, concerts with

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

, Seoul Drum Festival, Summer Series Dubai, many schools and colleges and a solo concert at the United Nation's

COP 16 The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. The conference is officially referred to as the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework ...

Conference on Climate Change in Cancun, Mexico, where he was awarded the "Cantando por el Planeta" award by the Federal Government of Mexico for is HOP (Help Our Planet) environmental education program for schools. His HOP program was also a recipient of the Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. His music has been used in major television commercials for The NBA, ESPN and Electronic Arts. He and his music have been featured on

Late Night with Conan O’Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American late night talk show, late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien. NBC aired 2,725 episodes from September 13, 1993, to February 20, 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity i ...

, CBS Sunday Morning,

CBS News CBS News is the news division of the American television and radio service CBS. CBS News television programs include the ''CBS Evening News'', ''CBS Mornings'', news magazine programs '' CBS News Sunday Morning'', '' 60 Minutes'', and '' 48 H ...

, National Public Radio, BBC, Associated Press and a front-page story in

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

. He will be featured in an upcoming issue of Disney's Family Fun magazine. He is currently developing and producing a children's television show about music and the environment called
''Junk Music'' with ''The Junkman''
and has a new, one man musical/visual/theatrical extravaganza entitled BEAT IT! with ''The Junkman''. He recently completed a 2 ½ week tour in Alaska sponsored by The US Environmental Protection Agency. In 2013 2K Sports released its latest NBA game
NBA2K13
featuring the music of ''The Junkman''. ''The Junkman'' celebrates Earth Day every year with a ''Global Junkjam'' with students and musicians all over the world through Google Plus Hangouts.

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 Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

* 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 RRRecords is a record label and used and new record shop based in Lowell, Massachusetts. RRRecords was the first American record label to publish underground "noise music" in the early 1980s, and published the first American vinyl by Merzbow, Maso ...

* 1998: Junk Music (Solo recording) – Moo Records * 2004: Junk Music 2 (Solo recording) – Moo Records * 2011: Nat Res + Mo Na + Man (Natural Resources + Mother Nature + Man) (The Junkman™ and friends �
Click here for full credits
– Moo Records

Works

* 2000: Surfer at the River Styx – commissioned for The Kennedy Center & American Dance Festival and choreographer Twyla Tharp. * 2003: The Environmental Continuum –

concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The typi ...

for recycled materials and orchestra commissioned for the

Eastern Music Festival Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

, 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. * 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

External links

Donald Knaack's official websitePress Kit with Photos, Audio, and more''Junk Music'' Festivals VideoEducational Programs/School & Family Performances VideoSolo Concert Programs VideoGlobal Junkjam Demo Video''Junk Music'' Facebook Page''Junk Music'' Twitter Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knaack, Donald Musicians from Vermont American percussionists American experimental musicians Experimental composers American environmentalists Living people Place of birth missing (living people) Year of birth missing (living people) American male classical composers 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians