Influences:   Lucinda Williams, Willie Dixon, Brandy Clark, Elvis Costello, Dwight Yoakam, Kasey Musgraves, Smokey Robinson--mostly people who tell a compelling story with few wasted words. Did I forget Dolly Parton? --truly a master of stories in song.

I’ve been doing FAWM and 50/90 since 2018, and attended two FAWMstocks in Delaware (I hope they can happen again!)

I don’t worry too much about hitting the final numbers, although I hit 14 last year for the first time.

My profile has long read “play serviceable guitar,” but this past year, 2020, I have been taking weekly guitar lessons and feel more comfortable with scales and playing up the neck. Let’s see if it shows.

As I’ve said before, I tend to write songs with realistic imagery and I generally prefer to keep ‘em short. Maybe this year I’ll fill them out with extended solos—but I doubt it.

I’ve always appreciated the on-line and special in-person friendships I’ve made in this group, and the positive attitude of so many creative people. It’s especially nice to have now-- until we’re all singing together again without our masks.

#1		The Name I Wish I Had humor acoustic challenge	11 Feb 3
#2		Me Alone @writeandwrong  forlorn fearofrejection	7 Feb 4
#3		Old Love, New Love dreamy electric ballad love-song	15 Feb 6
#4		Me Alone (with demo) @writeandwrong  rock biab	10 Feb 10
#5		Do It Like the Animals Do honkytonk piano 2021oraclechallenge biab	7 8 weeks
#6		Aces High or Aces Low s022121b songskirmish acoustic-one-take	15 7 weeks
#7		Let Yourself Out The Way You Come In slow rhythm-n-blues electric	10 6 weeks
#8		Fears of My Least Favorite Things ss0227211 songskirmish rap	9 6 weeks
#9		Lately I Been Thinking What a Shame ss022821c superskirmish blues acoustic-one-take	8 6 weeks
#10		Stupor Power ss022821j superskirmish qanon funk	12 6 weeks

Leave a message. Log in to FAWM or sign up first!
• 

  @tamsnumber4  3 weeks

  Thanks for listening to my song "One Kiss", I appreciate it!

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  @mikeb 4 weeks

  Great songs at the FAWMOVER party!

• 

  @eas3637  4 weeks

  Thanks, Mark, for the kind words about "Baltimore" - I look forward to listening to your music!

• 

  @gregknudsen 5 weeks

  I appreciate the kind words on my (one) song. haha. Glad to see you have 10 up here! I dig your influences and am looking forward to checking out your tunes! Cheers!

• 

  @liz561  5 weeks

  I will be at the zoom on Friday. Looking forward to meeting you!

• 

  @spazsquatch 5 weeks

  Thanks for the comment on "Not a leap year baby", I'll admit the lyrics could have used a bit more of a rewrite, but I spent all my time on the math. It was never my strength. 😁

• 

  @tamsnumber4  5 weeks

  Thank you for listening and commenting on my songs "He Changed His Stripes", "Start Walking in Your Dreams" and collabs with mikeb "I Want to Go Back" and "Tears at Midnight", it is appreciated!!

• 

  @airbagtester  5 weeks

  I'm not sure I'd be able to follow the chart for the song - it sounds like you are using some big boy jazz chords in there! 😁 I'd probably be tempted to break it down into cowboy chords.

• 

  @lizbrinker  5 weeks

  @markg I hope you do get to go back to the bars soon, if you enjoy them. Who knows, maybe my view will have altered after all this isolation.

• 

  @standup  6 weeks

  Crossroads bit was pretty hilarious.

• 

  @airbagtester  6 weeks

  Crossroads! There's a movie I haven't seen in a long time... that's an iconic scene 😀

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  @lizbrinker  6 weeks

  Hey, @markg , You’re Not The Bossa Me is the odd man out in my song list, since I couldn’t get that progression out of my hand and dashed off the lyrics so I could move on. In my very small experience writing songs, the lyrics usually come first.

• 

  @lizbrinker  6 weeks

  Hey, @markg , thanks for listening to Marco?. I’m glad you enjoyed it. We enjoyed making it.

• 

  @standup  6 weeks

  I would avoid cotton-picking references, since it could easily be construed as racist. A lot of the folks I left behind in GA might disagree, but I'd be uncomfortable using it, proabably.

• 

  @standup  6 weeks

  Thanks for listening to some sloth-core! The low gutteral sounds probably come from the Kalimbatron. It's tuned pretty low, but not dropped. There are clangy metal bits attached to it that produce rattles, and those were run through some echoes and weirdness.

• 

  @nadine 6 weeks

  Thank you for explaining Band-in-a-Box. I just heard of that tool but I haven't seen, used or heard it. So it's some kind of songwriting draft tool where you bring in some chords and it generates the harmonies and backings for you?
  I do not pay many instrument either. Just learned how to play some piano... maybe for 2 years?! I neither use music theory nor generators. So the chord progressions, arrangements and backings are all done by myself, following my heart, listening and analysing music or talking to people. It's very interesting to get to know other people's approaches.

• 

  @the3queens  6 weeks

  A century later history repeats itself!

• 

  @andygetch  6 weeks

  Our TV stations were NBC in Johnstown and CBS in Altoona. We were out of reception range for the Pittsburgh stations. Then we went back for a summer in 1972 and cable had arrived in our old neighborhood. With ABC and independent Pittsburgh stations, and WOR and WIIC (the Mets and Yankees game) independent stations in New York.

• 

  @gb9  6 weeks

  @markg Thank you so much for your appreciation and kind comments on 'Well-meaning Danger' 😀
  I dislike and fear them because I've seen the devastation they fools cause based on their assumptions. Moral hypocrites though demand another level of contempt, despise them entirely.

• 

  @ductapeguy  6 weeks

  Yes.

• 

  @ductapeguy  6 weeks

  You guessed the right artist but not the right song, which is good, because I was going for .... inspired by... I hope my song is significantly original. There's another clue in the title.

• 

  @tukayandryan  7 weeks

  Thank you so much for your lovely comments on our first go at a skirmish 😀

• 

  @andygetch  7 weeks

  That is a song for you to write sir 😉

• 

  @mikeb 7 weeks

  Thanks for the song listens and comments!

• 

  @gb9  7 weeks

  Thank you so much for your kind comments on 'Aces', it needs a lot of work. Thank you for your kindness. 😀

• 

  @mikeb 8 weeks

  Thanks for the comment on my collab with Tammy.

• 

  @the3queens  8 weeks

  The mean girl is probably never nice but the nice girl usually wins. I'd say the mean girl rather hates that. But since they are both me 🤷‍♀️

• 

  @standup  8 weeks

  Thanks for listening to "there was a time", I really like the concept of a fast but unhurried car ride. I might use that. You should use that.
  
  Maybe we should do a colllab! About mining in space or something else, or nothing in particular.

• 

  @thefinalfrontier  Feb 11

  Thanks for your comment on "Feels Like Home" - that one was a case of "use every mic I own to try to get vocals and instruments in one take"

• 

  @mikehex  Feb 11

  Yes! Who has the number 1 song about Akhenaten? I have the number 1 song about Akhenaten! Who says so? @markg says so!
  
  Thanks for the listen and kind comments!

• 

  @colgoo Feb 8

  The demo is up for “Skin Hunger”...Also, extra bonus, my collab partner included his guitar playing notes if you want to try it out....

• 

  @writeandwrong  Feb 5

  Aww, thanks! You've been added 😀

• 

  @jessicagraae  Feb 5

  You know that line about Jesus in a tree was inspired by a photo I took. One that crazy old ladies might send to Fox News- to prove they had seen Jesus.
  
  YOU were spot on. LOL.

• 

  @jessicagraae  Feb 5

  Thanks for listening to Cross the Line. The idea of gemstones is very encouraging.

• 

  @jessicagraae  Feb 3

  Thanks for your comments about my Donald song, Mark. How do you know there won't be a bunch of redneck Ivankas running around. (Boy, that sounds like a great line for a song,: She was just a redneck Ivanka.)

• 

  @dasbinky  Feb 1

  Bring the noise, good sir! I implore you!

• 

  @julieann Feb 1

  FAWM greetings

• 

  @the3queens  Feb 1

  Likewise Mark! Let's get this party started!

• 

  @ddubbles Jan 31

  Hey Mark, thanks for the welcome! Excited to get started!

• 

  @jessicagraae  Jan 31

  Hi Mark- Looking forward to hearing your songs, too! Gosh, I hope we have a FAWMstock this year.

• 

  @pfoo  Jan 27

  Hi Mark - have a great FAWM!

• 

  @standup  Jan 24

  Happy 2021. I’m up for collabs again if you are up for it.

• 

  @andygetch  Jan 24

  Yes FAWMstock was awesome and I'm hoping it happens again. Also I am going to check out the Tuesday night FAWM Zoom chats.

• 

  @andygetch  Jan 22

  Hey there Mark, always good to see a fellow former semi-central Pennsylvanian here!

• 

  @cts  Jan 21

  Mark - I’m going to try to make something happen, dude. You should use your ticket to get in the factory. 😁

• 

  @tamsnumber4  Jan 21

  Always good to see you friend!! I will come back around to see what you are creating!!

• 

  @mikeb Jan 18

  Hi Mark, Happy FAWMing!

• 

  @airbagtester  Jan 12

  Hey! 😀

• 

  @writeandwrong  Jan 12

  Boo! Missed everyone at physical FAWMStock this year! No wine. No jello shots. No seeing groggy people first thing in the morning waiting for coffee. No socializing in person 24/7 for a weekend, but the memories of the two years of the FAWMStocks I got to go to will remain with me forever. Wishing you the best FAWM ever! 🤗🎵