Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Brown.
Hi Mark, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Our story has two parts to it. On my wife’s side (Jessica Alcalá), she is an elite track cyclist who has represented Venezuela in international competitions, including PanAmerican championships in 2024. She started cycling here in Houston 3 years ago and is an independent athlete (no sponsors or affiliations other than the Venezuelan Federation, which doesn’t offer financial support). She is the rider of the year (2025) at our Velodrome in Houston: Alkek Velodrome. She is also deeply involved in the musical projects that we have in progress, and that leads to my side of the story.
I am a multi instrumentalist and composer, who spent 25 years traveling all over Venezuela, researching and recording Venezuelan folk music with the goal of making a book with the musical transcriptions that were mostly oral tradition. In 2017 I was able to make a small first edition of the work I entitled “El Libro Real de la Música Tradicional Venezolana”. After 8 more years of revisions and improvements, in 2025 I just published the second edition. The books are a two volume set with each volume having 500 pages of clear and accurate musical transcriptions of the folk music of Venezuela. The books are currently for sale in the USA and Europe, but more importantly, I have been sending books little by little to Venezuela with the goal of donating books to young students that are dedicated to preserving Venezuela’s musical traditions. I am currently designing a campaign to allow anyone to choose a student in Venezuela to donate books to.
Aside from my books, my wife Jessica and I teach music here in Houston, and have a recording studio and are currently working on several projects of music from different parts of Venezuela.
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?
The challenges that delayed the printing of the books were mostly financial. In the end we took out loans to get the books printed. The challenges that involve working on the music are simply part of the passion and vocation I have for this project. Spending my time on making the books perfect has been an exhausting pleasure.
The challenges for Jessica to progress as a competitive cyclist are also mostly financial, since it is an expensive sport, and requires frequent travel to race. But, of course, the hardest work is the training, which she is fenomenal at, with a self discipline second to none.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I studied music at the Manhattan School of Music (Bachelor and Master’s degrees) and have degrees in business administration and a post graduate degree in education. I specialize in Venezuelan folk music, but I also play jazz and other styles. I am most proud of my books of Venezuelan music, and I have several other books almost ready for publication, including a book for drummers, a book that teaches how to improvise, and a book of Venezuelan musical exercises for improvisation.
My wife Jessica and I both play saxophone, and she also plays the Venezuelan cuatro. I also play bass, mandola, and several other instruments.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Deep research and meticulous attention to detail in my publications.
Musical recordings that faithfully represent the different styles of Venezuelan music.
Original musical compositions.
An original teaching method that has a wonderful impact on our students.
Pricing:
- $70 each book of Venezuelan music
- $85 per hour for music lessons
- $85 per hour for recording and mixing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.libroreal.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/libro_real/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FundacionLibroReal
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LibroRealVenezuela
Image Credits
All photos by Mark Brown & Jessica Alcalá
