Mark got his start in music at twelve years old while living in Lake Orion, Michigan when his father bought him his first guitar. He quickly found out that he had a real knack and love for developing melodies and lyrics that are linked to emotional experiences -- "I think that I write my best during those moments when the music and words flow right out of my feelings from an emotionally strong experience." Mark had a very strong desire to work long and continuously at his music. So much so, that his parents tried to impose some constraints on him to better balance his life. However, Mark soon discovered a way around these constraints, by playing deep into the nights behind a closed door in a bathroom in the back of the house.In the beginning, he only shared his personal songs with his close friends; then he moved on to developing and performing emotionally touching songs for special events for friends and family. Next, he developed a repertoire for his club circuit tour around the state of Michigan. And, now he produces and distributes his albums globally to share his music and messages with the many friends that he has made from around the world on the Internet.Mark's most recent album, "California Bound", was inspired from a trip to tranquil Northern California. The album contains soothing songs for our tumultuous times, but at the same time, tries to send some strongly felt messages that are best summed up in the song "Mother Freedom" -- we need to step back and see how in history we tend to keep repeating the same patterns of mistakes by not understanding and accepting our many tribal differences; if we could recognize these, and see our common future bond of having our children carry our torches forward for all of us, maybe we could live according to Mother Freedom -- in peace and freedom for all...Darren W. Willard