Mark's influences are multiple and varied. In his early years, he was shaped by the music of Santana, Pete Townsend, Eric Clapton, Albert King, Neal Schon, Eddie Van Halen, & Jimi Hendrix.
In later years, he has been influenced, frustrated, and molded by the music of Eric Johnson, Brian May, Joe Satriani, Andy McKee, J.S. Bach, Tommy Emmanuel, and others.
He is also influenced by his girlfriend's occasional looks of mild disappointment.
Sounds Like
Brian May meets Eric Johnson, while Santana can only shake his head in sorrow.
Born in NYC, Mark has lived in California, Oregon, and Texas, and currently resides in Martinez, CA. He has been playing guitar professionally for over 30 years, and enjoys almost all styles of music. His principal influences include Eric Johnson, Brian May, Joe Satriani, and Carlos Santana.
Over the years, Mark has also worked as a piano tuner, luthier, recording engineer, and technical writer. He is principal co-author of "Job-Hunting Online" (5th Edition, Ten Speed Press, 2008). Go to Amazon and buy a copy; you'll learn a lot, he needs the royalties, and you can find out what his whole name is.
When time allows, he enjoys playing duets with his violinist girlfriend Kimberly.
