Mark Sunshine, the musician.

I am primarily noted for being a vocalist. Music did not begin for me, really, until I was 19. Here is what I can recall for the curious.

My earliest recollection of musical activity as a child is a memory of pretending to play keyboard, my fingers hitting a plastic Maxell cassette tape case. The slots that held the cassettes looked like keys. This is was in Brooklyn, New York. I was about 6.

I've never taken music lessons.

As a child my musical environment was provided by 1. the radio and 2. crazy albums my parents possessed. My father was involved in the audio-video business when I was younger and the demo albums he would bring home, combined with my parent's milquetoast quirky taste made for a rather weird early music experience.

From the albums my folks had, which I really did not truly appreciate until I got older I got to hear stuff like the Ray Conniff singers yes but also Blood Sweat and Tears. From the demo cassettes my dad brought I home I heard such fare as "Warm Leatherette" by the Normal and John Coltrane "Blue Train" as well as "Trans Europe Express" by Kraftwerk. No one could understand why I was so freaked out when I first heard Afrika Bambaata. "I know this!!" I said.

My father would never listen to the cassettes he brought home, they went straight to me. They were peculiar 45 minute Maxell cassettes with the orange lettering. The demonstration albums, the promo LPs (NOT FOR RESALE) were my gifts as well -- every now and then amidst the Demis Roussos and Graham Parker I would find a gem, like Rush's "All the World's a Stage."

As I grew I had to rely on other people to introduce me to music mostly. This exposure ALWAYS happened while I was away from home. In summer camp I learned about the Beatles, Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd. During an experience called a teen tour which my parent's sent me on one summer, I met a guy who introduced me to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. By the end of high school, during which classic rock dominated the popular rock air waves, I got into metal. Eventually I would dig Metallica and early Anthrax, as well as Saxon.

My activity as a musician began after college. At age 19 I wound up becoming interested in the drums. After purchasing a set at Manny's NYC (with money I was gifted, namely immature savings bonds that for the life of me I cannot figure out why my folks didn't utilize for my college tuition -- whhhatever ) I taught myself fairly competently to play up to a good beginner level. I was no prodigy but I could play A-OK. For the record, having taught myself, I wound up playing like Simon Phillips. I am a righty -- but used my left hand for the high hat. It was flexible for me this technique.

After about a year of practicing, annoying the hell out of my entire family and having some fun jam sessions with friends who played guitar, I realized I started too late. I sold my drum set for the usual incredible loss.

But I was not done with music. I cannot recall what drove me to do it, but I decided to try singing. I took out an ad in the East Coast Rocker and though I had no experience, no P.A. not even a microphone, I was determined. I would practice at night in my father's car, taking it out of the garage and singing to whatever I wanted to practice with. Eventually I got to try out for my first legitimate band.

BANDS AND MY PAST

I wrote a detailed history in the first draft of this page, but reconsidered and cut out all that nonsense. I will tell two important things first.

1. The first band I ever got a try-out for had Bob Pantella on drums. In my current band Riotgod he is on the kit. I have known him for what can easily be considered a "long time."
   
   
2. I am not comfortable detailing the past bands I have been in or the dreary details of everything that inevitably led to nothing professionally.

I was in some interesting bands, the music of ( if one is a diligent Googler) which can be heard at various corners of the web. I have had periods of involved musical activity, played some memorable shows on some good bills opening for national acts. I also experienced a long dry spell when I was not involved in any bands, when my life was by any standard applied, a mess. I am not ignoring my past. When someone goes to see a sporting event, they don't hold up a banner boldly displaying the teams past forgetttable seasons. I don't and can't deny my involvement and recall fondly about some aspects of those musical experiences.

One time I had a huge biker type guy stop me in a hospital elevator. I was with a past girlfriend and we were visiting her sister who had just given birth. The guy was about 6' 5" his head almost touching the roof of the lift. He was holding a child in one of those car seats you can detahc easily carrying it around by a handle.

"Didn't you play in a band -- I think I saw you at Club Bene." I chatted with him and admitted he was correct. The gig in question had been ages ago. He recognized my tattoos. My gal looked at me interestingly. I was not in a proper band situation at that time.

So -- that is that.

Besides being involved in hard rock music I create my own compositions and also from time to time lend my voice to At War with Self .a musical project of guitarist/mandolinist Glenn Snelwar.