A memoir in music

Over the years, we’ve featured fiddler Mark O’Connor at The Ark many times, with each show revealing a new facet of this amazing American musician. Mark’s new project, “Crossing Bridges,” gives a glimpse into how it all came to be. “Crossing Bridges” is a book and a concert, tracing his journey rom his childhood years, when at age 11 he was winning classical guitar competitions against University graduates, and at age 12 was thrust as a soloist onto the Grand Ole Opry stage introduced by the King of Country Music, Roy Acuff. The story covers Mark’s 1970s child prodigy years on the road as national fiddle and guitar champion. The acclaimed musician learned at the feet of American music legends while exploring his relationships with his mother and dysfunctional family, a near career-ending accident and his involvement in some of the world's most iconic instrumental bands. The memoir details the personal triumphs, struggles and demons that informed the decisions he made about his music, career path and the risks he was willing to take for a shot at the brass ring. The first half of this show will feature music from Mark O’Connor, while the second half offers a discussion of the book, anecdotes, and a Q&A. Mark will sign copies of “Crossing Bridges” in the Ark lobby after the show.


Please visit https://mutotix.umich.edu/3875/3876 for more detail.