DULUTH — Although Mark Eskola and his daughter, Faith, have played music together for many events over the years, Thursday marks the first time the musicians will do a show together with their own bands.
The pay-what-you-can concert is a fundraiser for the arts and music programs at Duluth Public Schools, which both musicians have close ties with: Faith as an alumna of Central High School and Mark as a former orchestra instructor of 23 years with the district.
"We were out, I don't know, skiing or driving somewhere and we both just said, you know, it'd be nice to do something for the Duluth schools," Mark said. "We both play in bands, maybe we could do a benefit concert? Then the months passed by and we kind of forgot about it for a bit."
Mark works as a part-time luthier and was asked to repair a set of guitars that Trampled by Turtles donated to the schools. Mark remembered when the donation came in almost a decade ago and agreed to fix a few bridges and other parts.
"And I started talking with some of the teachers and they're just so underfunded," Mark said. "So I thought, OK, if we can just do something to help, even if it's small, that'd be nice. And Faith was on board as she got her start in art there and said she felt grateful for her experiences there."
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March was also an ideal time to set the concert as it is the National Association for Music Education's Music in Our Schools Month.
Faith graduated from Central in 1996 and works as a senior manager and associate creative director at Target. She credits her early art opportunities for helping her develop her confidence and willingness to explore art as a career.
"I feel so lucky that I was given the opportunities and had the exposure to take lessons and participate in the arts," Faith said. "I ended up with an art degree in college. I didn't really get into visual arts in high school, but I had a general art class where the teacher was just so impactful. That really impacted my confidence and willingness to take risks and explore on my own time and in college."
Typically we describe it as instrumental folkloric punk inspired by mythology.
She also credits her young music education for her continued interest and exploration with the band she plays with today, Whispered the Rabbit. Faith plays a five-string violin that she runs through effects and pedals that gives her "the full sonic range of an orchestra by myself." Her bandmates, which range in background from heavy metal to folk to progressive, together create instrumental music with "cinematic feels — like a soundtrack to a movie that's never been made," she said.
"It's one of the pandemic baby bands that came out of some jams that happened during that time," Faith said. "Typically we describe it as instrumental folkloric punk inspired by mythology."
Mark plays in the Bill Bergson Band, which he describes as a range of styles, but primarily progressive rock or progressive rock.
"For example, we have a song called 'Consider the Heavens,' which is sort of a cinematic soundtrack of what you'd see looking at space through the Hubble or James Webb telescope," Mark said. "But we have another that's a whole different vibe called 'Deus Ex Machina,' which has more bass and drums and is a commentary on artificial intelligence."
Between the two bands, students from both Denfeld and East high schools are set to perform musical acts. There will also be student artwork on display in the lobby and projected during the performances. All money raised will toward music lesson scholarships and arts education opportunities. There is no cover for the performances; attendees are asked to donate what they can.
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If you go
What: Arts and Music Duluth Public Schools Benefit Concert
Where: The West Theatre, 319 N. Central Ave.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Cost: Free; donations requested
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