Rock violinist Adam DeGraff will perform in November at Marquette Area Public Schools assemblies and at Kaufman Auditorium. The performances are part of the Lyceum series. (Photo courtesy of Lantz Whitfield)

MARQUETTE — For many people, the thought of violin music conjures up thoughts of classical sounds in a symphony orchestra.

However, a violin also can be used to make unique and creative sounds.

Local residents can hear this firsthand when the Kaufman Lyceum Series welcomes internationally known rock violinist Adam DeGraff to Marquette Area Public Schools and the Kaufman Auditorium stage on Nov. 6-8.

DeGraff will perform for students in the MAPS district during Nov. 6-7 assemblies, and will present a public performance on Nov. 8 at Kaufman Auditorium.

Using only his violin, DeGraff creates nearly all the sounds of a full band, and then intricately loops them live on stage.

“I’m personally super excited to have Adam here to perform,” said Lantz Whitfield, Kaufman Auditorium director, in an email. “It’s difficult to find Lyceum events that will educate and entertain audiences that range in age from kindergartner through adult. This certainly fits the bill.

“We hope to have a large crowd at the Friday evening public performance. They won’t be disappointed.”

DeGraff is a classically trained concert violinist, composer, producer, educator and farmer who spent the first part of his career as a professional orchestra musician. Since then, he has experimented with rock violin, live looping, alternative music education and traditional permaculture farming practices.

DeGraff is a graduate of Northwestern University where he studied with famed Portuguese concert violinist, Gerardo Ribeiro. He then continued with graduate work at Rice University where he studied with concertmaster Raphael Fliegel.

A looped sound repeats endlessly without gaps between the beginning and the end.

DeGraff takes this concept to a new level.

It means that every sound the audience hears is created live on stage: instantly recorded, layered, and looped back in real time without pre-recorded tracks, according to his website at adamviolin.com.

“For Adam, it’s all about living and playing in the NOW!” reads.

Visitors to his website also can watch a video of DeGraff playing to get a better idea of his music as well as how he relates to an audience.

DeGraff also presents educational workshops; owns and operates The Lee Street Listening Room; provides corporate entertainment through his company Heavyweight Music, LLC; teaches in person and via Skype; and lives and farms with his family in Lewisburg, West Virginia..

DeGraff has performed for U.S. presidents, senators, governors, NFL halftime shows and Fortune 500 corporate events.

His Marquette performances will come courtesy of the Kaufman Foundation.

In the late 1920s, the foundation started an endowment to attract notable people — included the famed aviator Amelia Earhart — from all over the world for the benefit of the schools and the public.

Tickets will be available at https://nmu.universitytickets.com/w/default.aspx or at Northern Michigan University ticket locations. There will be tiered ticketing, with gold seats at $30 each, silver seats at $20 apiece and bronze seats at $10 each.

Kaufman Auditorium is located at 611 N. Front St., Marquette.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250.