Mark grew up listening to Joni Mitchell and Barbara Streisand due to his mothers' love of music. His own studies started with Flamenco guitar with the late, great Ray Mitchel at the age of 9. By 12 his focus had switched to piano. Initially self taught, and inspired by Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Steely Dan. More formal music studies introduced him to Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Messiaen's Quartet For The End of Time (amongst many other composers and works) both of which made a huge impression on him.

 

But it was a chance encounter with Weather Report and Jaco Pastorius at the age of 16 that (initially) changed the direction of his life and set him down a jazz path. Mark studied Jazz Piano Performance under Vince Maggio, Composition with Dennis Kam, and Jazz Composition/arranging with Ron Miller, all at the University of Miami, where he won the Program Directors' Award for Outstanding Achievement.

 

Post graduation work as a studio session player back in London, as Yamaha's (and then Kawaii's) Hi-Tech Keyboard Demonstrator, and in several bands gigging and trying to get record deals were fine, but composing had always been where Mark's musical heart was. At 25 he made the fateful decision not to be beholden to what music others wanted him to write, and chose to make music a private passion rather than a professional career.

 

Perhaps a few too many years later...Mark has finally got back to his music full time. He released his 1st album (of mostly orchestral works), 'Three Views of a Circle' in September 2020, a single in tribute to his hero Stevie Wonder ('I Wonder') in February 2021. In April 21 he released an album of more varied jazz, world, and modern classical music. By Feb ’22 he was in Prague recording 3 orchestral works with The Czech National Symphony Orchestra, which is now available as an EP.”