Born & raised outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Mark started his music education at age 7. He began studying drums at age 9, through school studies and private instruction, which continued all the way through high school. Ensembles included concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands, and vocal groups. Mark was part of several state championships as a member of the North Penn Marching Knights, as well as a drum line national championship in the Fiesta Bowl Pageant of Bands. He was successful in auditions for all-state concert & jazz bands. After graduation from high school in 1996, Mark attended an in-depth summer session at The University of the Arts jazz program in Philadelphia under the direction of Marc Dicciani.
Mark was formally trained in classical percussion studies at the James Madison University School of Music in Harrisonburg, VA from 1996-2000 under the direction of Bill Rice. Ensembles included the University Wind Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, Marching Royal Dukes, and Jazz Ensembles. Mark also participated in several projects outside of school (The Mourning After, West Water Street, Bart Delaney Trio).
In 2001 Mark moved to Northern Virginia and joined the experimental rock band, Goa. -recorded an EP (2001) at Small World Music in Charlottesville with producer Bobby Read (Bruce Hornsby Band, John D’earth, Monkfish, Keller Williams, ModeReko)
In 2002, Mark and fellow Goa members, Ben Trout & Harry Suber, formed a folk electronica jazz trio, Stranger, in which Mark developed a traditional drum kit/ hand drum fusion style. Stranger had their debut performance at the 1st Annual Labor Day Extravaganza in Delanson, NY. In 2003, Stranger went on the road from March until June up and down the East Coast. -full-length self-titled LP (2005) recorded and produced at Flying Squirrels Studio in Petersburg, VA with producer/ engineer and long time colleague and friend, Frank Scott (The Lost Satellites, The McGuffin)
Mark started working with Frank Scott in 2006 with his new project, The Lost Satellites, first as a session player/ assistant engineer for the debut album “Worlds Collide” (2008), then as full time drummer. A new record is being recorded at Sound of Music studios with producer Al Weatherhead (Sparklehorse, Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker).
After moving to Richmond in the fall of 2006, Mark started looking for new projects to explore. He joined the short lived jam band, Dugout, where he met bassist Sam Giacco (The Lost Satellites). In 2007, Mark met Tina Marie, Jessica Salomonsky, and Tom Crosby (King Solomon’s Marbles, Bart Chucker Band, Gary Gerloff Band) joining Sister Sweet. -self-titled LP (2008) www.cdbaby.com/sistersweet.
Also in 2007, Mark started touring with NoVa based band, Restoring Poetry in Music/Panacea. In 2008, Mark did a brief stint with the post modern power loungers, The Recliners. On Halloween 2008, Mark and Tina made their debut performance, and joined Tom as part of the 10 year anniversary of Richmond favorite King Solomon’s Marbles playing at Cary St Café. The three friends and musicians continue to play with the band today, always once a month at Cary St Café.
In 2010, Mark created a jazz trio with Phil Thacker & Tod Ellsworth, playing both standard & modern jazz. Keep an eye out…
And soon after that in 2010, Sister Sweet was no longer playing together, and Vinyl Tease was born. Mark also currently teaches drum kit and other percussion lessons privately from his home in Richmond, VA.
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