Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Carter.
Hi Mark, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I always loved music. Whenever music was playing in the home I grew up in it was always good times. Music seem to bring out the best in my family. My grandfather was a musician and Baptist minister in Tulsa Ok, my childhood home. We moved to Brea CA when I was 10 and I fell in love with the guitar around 12. By the time I got to High School I was practicing 3-4 hours a day. By the time I was a Senior I was teaching a guitar class at the Jr High and local music store, and playing in a band that played miitary bases on the weekends.
As an adult I played every gig I possibly could. From Holiday Inns, to the Sahara Lake Tahoe to Country Bars and Restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley to playing in a Big Band at Disneyland to being featured as guitarist with the Crystal Catheral Orchestra. Playing in every size band and solo and duo.Being a sideman and being a leader.
I have composed and recorded jingles for TV in the LA area and played guitar on 100’s of recordings.
As a guitarist I have performed with many artists including: Al Jarreau, Dave Koz, Tom Scott, David Foster, Glen Campbell, Englebert Humperdinck, Lee Greenwood and Roger Williams,
In 2000 I started writing and recording my own form of Jazz/Pop music
I now have 5 CD’s to my name and I am co-writer for the Billboard Top 30 Contemporary Jazz Hit “Miles and Miles To Go” in 2021 for Grammy-award winners Larry Carlton & Paul Brown, and my single “Swingtown” was produced by Paul Brown. Receiving worldwide airplay and placed
#1 on Chartbound at Smoothjazz.com in June 2022. I currently have music streaming worldwide daily. My current single is called LA Hustle and my band The Mark Carter Project will be the opening act for Spyro Gyra at the Coachhouse October 17 2025.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Yes and No When I started, there was Live Music everywhere !
Many bars, restaurants, hotels and casinos booked Live Music 5-7 nights a week. If you were even a decent musician and committed you could find work. Not alway the best paying but there was plenty of work. I became a young father and raised 2 beautiful children. Balancing a music career and family is always a challenge. But I was fortunate enough to always find work, pay my bills and feed my family. I learned very early, if music is going to be your business, you have to find like minded people to work with.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I began my career the word “Versatile” was often used in the music world, not so much now. I learned to play a variety of styles on the guitar, read and write music so I could take a variety of work. Like many other I love to perform, teach and record. As a performer I have played 200-300 jobs a year. From weddings, corporate parties, private country clubs, bar mitzvahs, retirement homes,and concerts. As a guitar teacher I have students that have been with me 5-10 years. I’ve been fortunate enought to play with some of the greatest musicians in the world as listed previously. I’m most proud of the relationships music has brought me. One example is a teaching job I had at Singer Music in LaPuente CA for almost 30 years The owners Danny and Cindy Singer were just the best people to work for. Great relationships are priceless !
What makes you happy?
Peace and Joy…The peace a father has when he know’s his children have turned out to be loving, compasionate, and responsible human beings. The joy you get sharing music onstage, teaching, and working with other musicians.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Markcarterproductions.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.carter.54379/
