Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Winters.
Hi Mark, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a singer, songwriter, guitarist and poet living in beautiful Sugar Land, Texas. I started my journey as a musician in 2011, to sing a song for my wife for our anniversary. I fell in love the joy of sharing music (I was already in love with her!) and decided to pursue life as an original music artist. Today I play shows with my band (The Jetliners) and as a solo artist. I love the world and the people in it, and write about the wonders I find. I grew up on rock music (Tom Petty, John Mayer, Jason Mraz) and find their influences in my songs. I love to incorporate a “Rock” sound with my lyrics (either acoustically or with the full band) and enjoy the occasional guitar solo! I went on my first “solo artist” tour this year, actually 2 of them, the first was a giant tour of Texas, 10 shows in 14 days, and the second was down the gulf coast to the eastern shores of Florida. I am actively planning my next set of tours for next year, and some Festivals, It will be an exciting year.
This year, I have 2 shows on the books remaining, one on Oct 5th at 1810 Ojiman with our beach folk friends Lua Flora, and Charlie and the Regrets and the last show on Dec 1st with Makes My Blood Dance at The Acadia. Love to have my hometown friends come out and get their “RockWithAPositiveVibe”.
I also have a new Christmas song coming out on Nov 10 (my first one, yay!) that I am excited to share during the holidays. You may see me and some friends out caroling as well (at the VA Hospital and some other charities).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Early in my music journey, I found many challenges in learning my craft. I did not have any formal music education, and had to find my groove teaching myself (yay Udemy courses!). I did have the blessing of some very close friends who helped me get started (my first band Agave Report), and taught me many things about being in a band and the joys of music when you play with others. It took me maybe 4 years or so to start to feel comfortable with my guitar, and another 4 years of singing before I felt like I was starting to find my voice and style.
My experience with writing original music was bolstered by my grandmother, back when I was growing up. She taught me to write poetry and that really helped me express emotions with my words. Putting them into a musical context was more difficult that I thought, but like everything else, it just takes some practice to find your way. It also takes courage to share your creations with others. I was surprised that I was anxious to share my work, as I am normally a very outgoing and fearless person.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love the world of art and creatives! It has been a great renaissance for me, as I grew up with it in my life, and then pursued more of a math and science career (Aerospace engineer). Today I am known for #RockWithAPositiveVibe, my positive views of the world put in a light rock context. I enjoy sharing my original music as a solo “looping” artist as well as with my full band, The Jetliners.
I also enjoy writing poetry (thanks to my grandmother) and frequently put them to music. Check out my Instagram/TikTok page @MarkWintersMusic for some haiku fun.
I am still finding my original voice and genre with most of my work thus far being considered P0p Rock, Blues Rock or Folk Rock. I played my first showcase at SXSW in Austin last year, and hope to play more festivals and larger venues in 2023.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I tend to be a “thoughtful” risk taker. My analytical brain usually gets in front of my impulse to enjoy a new experience (usually!) and evaluate my approach and preparation. I know myself well enough today to know that I am going to do “the thing”, so most of my thoughts are on how I will keep from killing myself or embarrassing myself. I have found some interesting twists in my musical journey to taking risks and putting yourself out there. Music is such a personal thing for me (words matter to me and I can’t sing lyrics I don’t agree with) I really care how they are received. Early in my performances, I would practice like crazy to be ready for a show, and then be very disappointed that I didn’t perform well. I did not have any clue what proper preparation was, nor enough experience in live music to really do a good job. I think being terrified of failing and ok when you do fail is a helpful mindset. I also have read that when you are preparing as a musician, you are doing so for yourself. When it’s show time, it’s all about giving your emotions to the audience and you should not be expecting anything back (although it’s nice when you do get some love in return).
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.markwintersmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markwintersmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarkWintersMusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MarkWintersMusic
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0dfXqjPrnIgC5fM9HtITAT?si=AfPH6DrjSEmejJvPbnVWRg
Image Credits
Gracie Taves
Alexis Nicole
