Donald Knaack has been honored with the Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence & Pollution Prevention for his HOP (Help Our Planet) environmental education program! The HOP program was piloted at Burr & Burton Academy in Manchester, VT during the 2006-07 school year with great success.

In preparation for First Night Burlington to ring in 2008, The Junkman appeared on the Late Night Saturday talk show and public television's Profile. You can watch both shows in their entirety by following these links: Late Night Saturday and VPT Profile

The Junkman and famed record producer/DJ/Remixer Jack D. Elliot rocked First Night this year! Beginning at 6pm with the Church Street Parade, leading to a massive Junkjam in City Hall Park and culminating with a concert/dance experience from 8 to 11pm in Contois Hall. Throughout the night, they were joined by the Junkjam Posse, a group of students from several Vermont schools who have worked with The Junkman to create Junk Music Playstations - sound sculptures made exclusively from recycled materials, which they will Jam upon. For more information: firstnightburlington.com and jackdelliot.com

As the 2007-2008 school year opens, Burr and Burton Academy students (of Manchester, VT) will begin their second year of the Help Our Planet (HOP) Program. The HOP program is the work of Vermont musician Donald Knaack, who authored the program and supervised its inauguration at the school. “Last year was a year of exploration, planning and getting students to understand the program and its concepts,” said Knaack. “This year, they will immediately begin to implement the pledges they made to improve the environment.” Both Burr and Burton Academy and Donald Knaack have been nominated for the 2007 Vermont Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence and Pollution Prevention.

Last August, Knaack began the process of educating the student body about the need for a cleaner environment, what they can do to make a difference, and exactly what that difference will be. Burr and Burton students were asked to pledge to incorporate from one to five Simple Steps into their daily routines. The goal is 100 percent student and staff participation. These Simple Steps are: turning off the water when you brush your teeth; spending 50 percent less time in the shower; turning off the lights when leaving a room; reusing containers for oils, honey, peanut butter, shampoo and lotion, with a goal of reducing new containers by 50 percent; and not littering.

These actions will have the following estimated effect upon the environment:

• prevent 87 tons of greenhouse emissions from entering the environment
• save 346,200 gallons of water
• reduce electric costs by 5%
• save 11,500 pounds of plastic and glass from being newly manufactured

According to Knaack several key initiatives will be implemented this year, including the establishment of a full composting program in the cafeteria that will yield a savings in hauling fees of approximately $1994 per year, and the use of biodegradable plates, cups, wrappers and cutlery in the cafeteria. Most importantly, it will return some 13,000 pounds of compostable materials to the earth.

The Junkman recently finished a residency at Burr and Burton Academy in Manchester, VT where he worked with choral, drama and music students to premiere his new composition, The Lost Civilization. The full-length multi-arts piece featured junk percussion and is aimed at bringing greater environmental awareness to the community.

After the success of the ESPN Makeshift spot featuring the track Abracadabra, The Junkman's music has been featured in a spot for the NBA Playoffs (Spring 2005) and an ad for an Electronic Arts video game. All the spots can be viewed on this website at the link below.

An original track by The Junkman has been featured in the new snowboarding movie The Chronicles of Gnarlia: The Lines, The Wickedness, and The Whiterooms. Tracks from The Junkman have also been featured in the snowboarding movies Full Metal Edges and Night of the Living Shred.

The Junkman appeared on BBC's Culture Shock, on a broadcast featuring three musicians worldwide that incorporate recycled materials into their art.

The Junkman was the featured performer at the Keep America Beautiful Vision for America Award Dinner in New York City. The dinner honored corporations demonstrating a commitment to responsible and proactive environmental policy. The Junkman entertained and led the group in a Junkjam.

The Junkman's opera, ODIN, premiered April 14, 2006 at the Loewe Theatre in New York City. The full-length spoken-word opera is based on Nordic mythology and will feature ten amplified percussionists on over 250 pieces of junk and recycled materials. The opera is a truly unique, out-of-the-box work that defies tradition without ignoring its roots and structure. The New York Times said "the appeal of the whole thing lay in its youthful energy and striking instrumentation."