Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Lettieri.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I’m a California-born, Texas-bred guitar guy. Raised in the Silicon Valley are of the San Francisco Peninsula during the 90’s tech boom, I discovered the guitar in middle-school; the time when most suburban boys get in to things that are either loud or destructive – or both. Immediately, music became a serious passion.
What brought me to Texas, however, was not music. Upon graduating from high school, I had sought out a university that had a solid journalism and public relations program, so that I could follow in my parent’s professional footsteps (Silicon Valley, remember?). I also loved competing in track and field. TCU offered the chance to do both, so I took it.
But the dream of making music for a living never went away – and after just one summer internship at a P.R. firm, I knew I had to follow my heart. All through this time from my first strum at 11 years of age, I practiced constantly, and consumed every style of music (guitar-based or not) that caught my attention: rock, metal, blues, gospel, funk, hip-hop, soul, country, jazz…. everything from Al Green to ZZ Top.
By age 20, I realized I’d acquired a fair amount knowledge on how I could apply guitar to just about any musical situation, so I set about my journey as a freelance player, or “sideman.” Through some connections formed at TCU, I found myself operating frequently with many artists in the Dallas/Fort Worth gospel and R&B scene, doing recording sessions and tours. Soon I was working with names like Erykah Badu and Kirk Franklin. It was through this scene that led me to my join the band Snarky Puppy, of which I’ve been a member now for 10 years.
Somewhat recently, in addition to my roles as band member and sideman, I’ve taken on the responsibility of “artist” myself – writing and recording instrumental guitar-based jazz-rock under my own name. A bit hesitant at first to step out on my own, it’s now become a top priority for my creative energies. Looking back, I’m glad I chose music…or more accurately, I’m glad I let music choose me.
Please tell us about your art.
On a surface level, I make what would be considered modern instrumental music – which is an incredibly broad term, I know. My personal projects are guitar-based, of course, but in Snarky Puppy we draw on every instrument all the way up to 52-piece orchestras. And every genre is fair game.
Going deeper though, my goal in all of this is to try to make music that is honest. It’s hard to define, but I do know that I can tell very quickly when I hear something that’s not. Even if it’s something I’ve made. It all comes down to trying your hardest to discover your own sound – playing to your strengths, and what you feel makes you unique as an artist, musician, composer, whatever. Of course, finding “your sound” doesn’t come overnight. It can take a lifetime!
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I’ve been doing this professionally for thirteen years, beginning around 2005. The traditional music industry as we know it had already started to fizzle out, so I’ve never been around when artists were receiving all sorts of care and support from major labels. I started my professional journey at a time when all the responsibility for growth and brand development had shifted largely to the artists.
There are positives and negatives to this, of course. On one hand, the artist can do what they want, how they want, on their own terms. On the other hand, there’s no one to help you! Since the public doesn’t really buy physical records like they used too, and revenue from streaming and downloads don’t exactly favor the artist, money is being made on the road from touring and live performance. Thankfully, people still want to see shows every now and again.
D/FW has the potential to be a fantastic area for live, original music. It may never be looked at like an LA or Nashville – simply because the music industry has never really resided here the way it does in those cities – but it’s got a huge population and a lot of capital. The goal now is to get our residents to care as much about the local music and arts scene as they do the Cowboys! Ha!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My music is available all over the web: iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, etc. Or, just head over to www.marklettieri.com and find not only my solo projects, but everything I’ve recorded with Snarky Puppy, as well as a broad sampling of my work as a session musician. I’m also very active on social media.
If you’re local to D/FW you can catch my group, the Mark Lettieri Trio, at the Independent Bar & Kitchen in Deep Ellum, where we hold a (mostly) plays a bi-monthly Tuesday night residency. All of my tour dates, plus clinics and masterclasses are listed on my website as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.marklettieri.com
- Instagram: @mjlettieri
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/marklettierimusicpage
- Twitter: @marklettieri
Image Credit:
Andy Laviolette
Marco Bicca
Stephen Diethelm
Bob Coscoluella
Stella K.
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
