About Mark

I grew up in Northern California in the Livermore Valley during a golden era for Rock music.
The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi, The Stones, Janis, James, Joni and Carol.
Live music was everywhere—in parks, parlors and on the street.

Country Western and Country music were also having a heyday.
Merle Haggard, Tammy Wynette, Conway Twitty, Loretta Lynn.
The Rancher way of life was still strong in my hometown.
Country music was all around and influenced me more deeply then I knew.

Mom was a singer and she made sure that whatever the song, my brothers and me would sing out and could do melody and harmony.
I think I was singing before I was speaking.

Piano lessons at six, trombone in school, choir.
Singing at school, home, church and with friends.

I don’t remember deciding to write a song.
It just happened.
Something inside needs to come out.
And you discover that it has chords and words and rhythm.
My earliest songs were composed on the upright piano in the living room.

Then I discovered strings.
I idolized a neighbor with a beautiful voice and an amazing smile.
When she brought a dulcimer to a gathering one night, it blew me away.  
I got myself a dulcimer and have not put it down since.

In my teens and twenties I played open mic and the occasional gig around town.
Then there was a fork in the road: a musician or a therapist?  

Helping people was another calling and in the twinkling of an eye a few decades went by with the songwriting returned to where it started, underground.

Music is my own therapy, alone with the keyboard, dulcimer or guitar and a song.
The career was rewarding, a privilege to work with people and witness their bravery and tenacity as they healed from the deepest pain and trauma.

But I had my own ache: this restless longing that got louder as the years went by.
Finally I had to listen, at the peril of my own sanity, and return to the life of creating songs.

Fate reminded me that I am a singer/songwriter first and last.
The music never stopped playing in my head.
Now, it calls for its due.

Singer/songwriters have dozens of songs, hundreds of half written tunes and ideas for new songs always floating around their room or playing in their head.

This first album shares eight of the finished ones. Hope you enjoy it.

With any luck, this is just the beginning.