Mark Cullen grew up in a musical family where the earliest influences were his mother's guitar and mandolin. He first began learning the mandolin around age 10, then a year or so later he
developed an intense interest in the guitar. Like his mother, he learned to play
"by ear" and also learned to sing. Unlike his mother, whose interests were
centered on traditional American folk, country, and bluegrass, he was fascinated with the modern folk, rock, and pop of the '70s. The influence of this musical era abounds in Mark's music and if you listen carefully you may hear hints of Crosby,Stills,Nash, & Young, James Taylor, Journey, Jethro Tull, Dan Fogelberg, Loggins & Messina, and Seals & Crofts to name a few.
Mark cultivated and developed his talent in numerous bands through high school and later as a professional touring musician. Most notably with an acoustic duo, in the tradition of Loggins & Messina and Seals & Crofts, known as M.C. & DeFeis and later in a variety dance band called Legacy. It was the latter where Mark was
exposed to, and influenced by, the many different genres of music embodied in the cover material he performed. Although he felt compelled to write songs from the very beginning, as his experience grew he soon discovered that writing was, for him, the most expressive and satisfying. In the course of his journeys, Mark acquired a degree in electronics technology which has become indispensible to him in the studio and he has explored and taught himself all the additional instruments he utilizes in his recordings. But at the end of the day it is songwriting that truly remains his primary passion.
At present, while maintaining a fulltime position as a Facilities Specialist with your friendly Regional Bell Operating Company, he continues to work toward his vision. Having relocated to the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in 1999, Mark has accomplished a portion of his dreams by founding the Io Music Ltd. label and building a private studio where he writes, records, and produces his music. This album, In The Moment, is an autobiographical collection of songs that focus on the people most important to him-family and friends. It highlights the distinctive point of view and style of this continually maturing singer/songwriter.
Mark recently submitted new original music for the Hiawatha Light Rail Line and his song Don't Like The Weather was chosen to be featured continuously at kiosks located at 11 of the train stations throughout Minneapolis. The work was commissioned as part of a public project for the Hiawatha Line developed by artist Janet Zweig in cooperation with Schaff Weisberg, Inc. (audio/video specialists) and Parallel
Development (industrial designers).
And the journey continues...
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