Mark was born in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. He studied piano, organ and singing and was National Champion in the Yamaha Electone Festival in 1979. The same year he matriculated from Corrimal High School (where he was Boy Vice Captain) and graduated, with honours, in Civil Engineering from Wollongong University in 1983.
The following is an excerpt from "Keyboard World" Vol 8, Num 6, 1979 after Marks win at the Australian Finals of the Yamaha Keyboard Festival, at the Seymour Centre in Sydney, prior to his trip to Japan where he represented Australia in the International Grand prix and was ranked in the Top Ten in the World that year.
In 1983 Mark graduated with an Hons Degree in Engineering (Civil) through the University of Wollongong and practiced as a Construction Engineer around New South Wales for 6 years before embarking on music as his career full-time. He gained his Diploma in Music through the Yamaha Music Foundation in 1988.
Mark has been teaching piano and organ since 1980 and has taught 3 National Champions on Electronic Organ in 1985, 1995 and accompanied a student in 1996 to Kuala Lumpur for Asia Oceania Finals.
He currently teaches at Wollongong TAFE in the Civil Engineering faculty and also teaches Piano in his private studio. Inaddition to being a singer and composer he is an ABC radio presenter in the Illawarra where he can be heard regularly on Saturday breakfasts on 97.3 ABC Illawarra.
His works include, Organ Solos, Piano solos, both Blues and light - contemporary and Vocal and Piano works. Marks most recent Albums Music for the Heart and Soul Opus 1, 2 and Opus 3 are available at purchase on line. 10% of the proceeds from the sales of the Music for the Heart and Soul CDs goes to 'Redkite' ‘Supporting Children Through Cancer’.
In addition to the B.Eng Civil Hons, he also holds an A.Mus.Ed and A.Comp. Hons with the Australian Society of Musicology and Composition (ASMC).
He is also a listed composer with Australian Composers whose publications arm ‘Publications by Wirripang’ produced the Piano Score for Music for the Heart and Soul Opus 1.
About Mark
National winner Mark Matthews from Wollongong
NSW is presented with his trophy by Mr Peter G Murphy, Managing Director of Rose Music.
The finalists on stage with Mr Geoff Harvey, one of three judges.Mark is third from the right as they await the announcement of winner
From Keyboard World Mag – August 1977
Mark is congratulated by Val and Richard Smith.
Mr Smith is Mark's teacher and holds the teacher's plaque.
Mark enjoys taking Trial Instructional Flights at the Albion Park Regional Airport.
Contact made:
Mark found a flyer for a REDKITE musicathon in 2004
Encouraged by the parents of his students to pursue the cause his students raised around $1500 over a period of a few weeks
As it turned out Remarkable Studios (known then as Mark-Time Music) had raised the most of any studio in the state of NSW
This started a wonderful relationship between Mark and the staff of Redkite
Proceeds from CD sales
The following year Mark launched his first Piano solo album Music for the Heart and Soul, Opus 1
He decided to donate 10% of proceeds of gross sales to the cause
At that stage he was unaware how much creativity was ahead of him and that in 7 years 7 albums would donate their proceeds to Redkite
This has continued till the present.
As you purchase an audio track or full cd be aware that you are also contributing to the wonderful cause of Redkite- helping children and young people through cancer’