Artist Interview by: Veronica Timpanelli
Mark Rapp
Composer, trumpet, didgeridoo
Part One
HERE AND NOW
"After more than a decade of practicing, gigging, school, work, travel - everything and anything – in essence, living life - all the while, never giving up on my dream – I find myself in preparations to showcase for numerous record labels, PR Firms, celebrities and more."
At 33, South Carolina born trumpeter, composer and didgeridoo player, Mark Rapp knows the importance of dreaming big, being persistent and having a good team. While he was attending Winthrop University, a few meetings with Wynton Marsalis led Mark to Study under Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans where he earned his Masters degree and several prestigious music awards.
Mark has also performed with many greats such as Walter Blanding, Jr., Wess Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Seamus Blake, John Ellis, Brad Leali, and Rodney Green and as a sideman Mark has toured and played with Darius Rucker, Hootie and the Blowfish, Branford Marsalis, Edwin McCain and Sister Hazel. He has had a myriad of guest appearances from a Fox NFL commercial to New York artists Hired Goons, Charley Hustle, and turntablist Shitake Monkey. Mark is also a prolific composer and has written music for a number of independent films including Friendship Hotel and Night and Day.
Named one of Downbeat Magazine's Top Emerging Jazz Artists in June 2007, Mark now resides in New York City and has recently completed recording his first CD with Grammy award-winning producer Jason Olaine, and hip-hop engineer LB Dorsey.
THE DREAM
"My dream: a successful musician playing concerts around the world (consistently and with longevity), earning a good living from my musical endeavors, leaving people in a better place than they were before hearing my music, and receiving enough popularity so I can raise significant awareness and aid for charities and organizations I believe in."
JazzReview: How does the present reflect that vision?
Mark Rapp: "Am I living my entire vision for myself today? Almost. I'm closer than I've ever been."
THE MECHANICS OF CREATION: DREAMING, BEING THANKFUL, SURRENDERING TO THE PROCESS, AND ENJOYING THE RIDE.
"I firmly believe 'If I think it, I can achieve it.' The power of intention – clearly envisioning what you want in your life, not letting go no matter what, and doing what it takes to get it – that is the driving force behind all great achievements.
Accepting your dreams as having already come true does many things:
You're telling yourself you are capable, you're good enough, you can handle the responsibility, and you often reveal the necessary steps to take in order to achieve them. Often times, you end up positioning yourself at the right places at the right time.
Surrendering to the process, for me, means taking those steps you discover you need to take. Bottom line, there is no free ride. You must accept what you have to do, then, do it in order to achieve desirable results.
Enjoying the ride – isn't that a tricky one? I have my moments, but I do not consistently revel the twists and turns. I am still figuring out how to have fun with this wild journey of daily life. What I do know is: There will be many milestones and points of interest, but they are not the ends. Life keeps going and you never ever know what the next 24-hours will bring – good or bad! All and all though, my glass is half full and I'm happy.
THE SOUND: THE MISSION
Mark describes his sound as "…bridging the gap between modern and contemporary jazz music. There's a wide division between the two, both artistically and in the audiences – I'm trying to connect the best of both worlds."
JazzReview: Do you feel your new CD accomplishes this?
Mark Rapp: "Yes, my compositions provide memorable frameworks upon which to explore modern jazz ideals. The listener will hear an actual melody and accessible grooves in my tunes. They'll have something immediate to grab onto, something they can understand. Furthermore, the melodies uphold musical integrity, which musicians will appreciate.
That brings me to my mission…I firmly believe jazz musicians can attract a far larger audience by getting back to writing memorable melodies, by providing the musical hooks which grab a layman's attention. Once you have them on board, you're free to show them around - expose them to something new. Now that you've taken them on a ride, be a good host and bring them safely back home with melody. To be honest, as humbled and impressed I am with the brilliant musicianship in New York, I rarely hear a modern jazz group playing memorable melodies."
THE DREAM TEAM
Thankful for the opportunities he has been presented with, Mark gives credit to his "Dream Team."
"No-one gets anywhere without the help and support of many, many others. After so many years of doing everything myself, I'm learning to 'let go and let others.' It's not easy though. Take my management team for example: I have to allow that process to work and do my best to patiently let them go about their jobs and not butt in. I do not need to know all of the details they have to deal with and they don't have to get up every morning and play long-tones and scales – they have their job and I have mine.
Where I am now is an amazing place. I would imagine any emerging artist would be thoroughly blown away and grateful (as I am) to have the team I have.
My producer, Jason Olaine, won a Grammy while at Verve for a Hargrove/Brecker album. My manager, Michael Kline, was with Terence Blanchard (my idol) for about a decade. I've met with a new media company, HiFive, which is run by two guys from Verve records who won top sales and marketing awards. My Executive Producer, Marc Boriosi, found me online and thought he could help me out. He not only funded the recording, but loves working every day to get me out there. We communicate everyday via IM, etc.
JazzReview: Has the Internet (and MySpace specifically) been helpful in promoting your music?
Mark Rapp: The Internet has been a huge resource for me. I'm online the majority of the day - it's part of my day gig - so I research people and places, venues and opportunities, send a multitude of emails, network, etc.
As for my Executive Producer, Marc Boriosi, finding me, that is all about preparation meeting opportunity and being in the right place at the right time. If I hadn't made compromises and not taken on a day job, I would not have the presence I have on the web today and he would not have come across me. We make our choices and we do the best we can with them - fortunately, he found me.
The MySpace thing can be a wild world - it all depends on how you approach it and use it. As in life, you'll come across all kinds of people - nice, crazy, cool, fake, etc. But you can use it to your advantage and garner a lot of new supportive fans. I've made contact with more people than I ever thought I would from all over the world. It's an awesome way to promote yourself, especially if you are reaching out sincerely and with integrity.
LIVE PERFORMANCES
A busy performance schedule has Mark appearing Fridays at the Carnegie Club in Manhattan and also regularly at the Rockwood Music Hall and other venues around the New York area. Mark and his band are presenting an official showcase for various record labels at Joe's Pub in New York on August 7.
In September, Mark will be performing back in his home state at Southern Exposure: Three days of wine, food, and music presented by The Cliffs in Greenville, South Carolina. Mark will be one of two main performers during the Sunday Jazz Brunch – the other artist… Branford Marsalis.
Read Part Two of this interview: www.jazzreview.com/article/review-5865.html
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