Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Wolfe.
Hi Mark, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been making music in some way or another since I was a young child. I started to play in bands as a teenager and was able to get a gig as a gopher in one of Miamis best recording studios for a spell. I got started in making music for TV about 2000. I had found a book at Barnes and Noble bookstore that had a list of all kinds of music publishing companies and music catalogs and what not. I had been in and out of the recording industry side of things since I had been playing in bands, and making original music for years starting writing music in my teens. Got involved with many aspects of performing live and I was always interested in the recording process and what not. I had reached out to a music publisher whom I still work with today after 25 yrs. I had written a acoustic melody with a Cello I believe. That was my first placement in tv I believe.
IN about 2009 I decided to try and go full time as a profession after moving to the Atlanta area. I had been pitching music to various outlets with no success. I was able to place one of my songs in a commercial for the country of Italy postal service nation wide in 2010. In and around that time I was put in contact with someone I had been networking with. They introduced me to someone at MOFILM.com when they were sort of just starting. I was able to become a music provider for them early on, then I became a music supervisor for various competitions and scored for festivals like Cannes Lions, London, Shanghai, and Rome, collaborating with non-profits and brands like,Unilever,Microsoft,Sony, Dove, Lipton, and Rexona. But in 2013 went my own way of sorts and started building relationships and networking with other clients building up my Wolfies Music Publishing catalog as well. I now work with a handful of music supervisors,catalogs and many publishing companies providing music from ROCK to BACH specializing in Guitar oriented Rock,( all kinds) Acoustic music,Pop,Smooth Jazz,Classical,and some world music as well.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has been a constant struggle along the way. A lot of the challenges for me a s musician and composer is it is very easy to MAKE music and PERFORM but to work at selling it and trying to find areas to get more sync placements or the competition with now AI created music is very frustrating but not something that cant be over come.
You have to have tough skin and not be so sensitive. you might have created the best piece of music you could straight from the heart, yet one person might find vaults and it or they don’t like it , but wait and sure enough someone will come along and it is exactly what they need. So you have to have tough skin there’s a LOT of rejection. BUT there is also a lot of learning about yourself and the industry. I am constantly striving to learn more about what I do every day. It is a networking game too. You have to be a people person and remember that this is also a business.
I have had lots of difficulty, but I have been blessed with the fruit from it. I also was diagnosed in 2017 with a rare brain disease called TRIDGEMINAL NEURALGIA I have struggled greatly with herniated discs, and other nerve pain making it very difficult at times to even play let alone hold the guitar. BUT when you focus all that energy you can either freak out over it and let it get the best of you OR you can harness that struggle as an engine for creativity and devotion which will in turn create compassion and understanding about others and yourself. maybe I talk too much BUT that is the way GOD made me LOL.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am aas I said earlier a film TV music composer, producer, professional guitarist, a songwriter, and owner of Wolfies Music Publishing (ASCAP). My primary genres—Rock, Acoustic, Blues, Chill / lounge, Smooth jazz, and Underscore—blend with influences from World, Latin, Classical, and beyond.
With over 40 years of experience creating, producing, and writing Original Music for sync placements, corporate sonic branding. Guitar is my core instrument, but I also play keyboards, piano, and more.
As a music composer and professional guitarist, I’ve created Original Music for over 40 years, reaching global brands like General Motors, Microsoft, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Adobe, and Wal-Mart, plus innovative names like Logitech, Nokia, and Nature Valley. My soundtracks energize TV hits across NBC, CBS, ABC, MTV, Discovery Channel, History, Nickelodeon, and more—think Pawn Stars, Say Yes to the Dress, Duck Dynasty, Aussie Pickers, and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. From National Geographic to indie films, my Original Music adapts to any story. I am also performing as a Solo Acoustic guitarist and I also have a Classic Rock & Blues band called “Vinyl Mercenaries” performing at local venues and at public and private events. I currently have a small recording studio in Bethlehem, Georgia where I continue to create music both for film and t.v I have about 3,700 some odd songs and cues with about as many placements in a variety of outlets.
I have been a music supervisor working with MOFILM and scored for festivals like SXSW,Coachella,Cannes Lions, London, Shanghai, and Rome, collaborating with non-profits and brands , music producer, and sound/mix engineer. I work with some of the biggest music libraries and music catalogs and providers in the industry.
With a diverse skill set and proven success, I handle music creation, production, video editing, graphic design, and more, using cutting-edge tech like WAVES, Native Instruments, and other plug-ins in my DAWs. Blending live instruments and samples, I craft the perfect sound and texture for any project. Easy going and collaborative,
My catalog spans global libraries, retail in Southeast Asia, Japan, and Germany, and daily TV broadcasts worldwide, from shows to major clients like Unilever and Sony.
I have been a State plumbing contractor and I am also a licensed plumbing inspector, Residential and Commercial, a Plumbing Plans Examiner IPC and a small business owner. I was a plumbing contractor for several years and worked all over the South & Mid west. I am very proud of my accomplishments over the years I was even in the guineas book of world records once for playing in one of the longest concerts ever but that has been surpassed. I have been an Audio Engineer at a few local TV stations as well as other things.
A Trigeminal Neuralgia survivor, which is a painful genetic brain disease. I’m learning to live an overcoming life, just moment by moment, fueling my passion to uplift others. Beyond crafting original music for sync placements with film TV Music Composer, I love to draw and paint, sharing these creations with you. I create all my album artwork and more. As a Professional Guitarist, I cherish connecting with people, spreading good vibes and truth. Like Bach, I believe music should glorify God and elevate the soul. My songs aim to inspire reflection, faith, make you research or simply spark your imagination.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
Surviving LOL seriously I had a crazy childhood one filled with ups and downs. I have a special memory when I first fell in love with music actually I remember hearing Classical music as toddler going to school. But I had a cousin who was blind and mentally challenged who sat me down at 5 or 6 yrs old at a piano and started to share with my little childhood brain and heart his love for music. Which only grew in mine. As I got a little bit older I took up saxophone in elementary school. I saw Eric Clapton in 1982-82 my first concert ever and I walked away from that wanting to do that for the rest of my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://markallanwolfe.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markallanwolfe
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/markallanwolfe
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markallanwolfe/
- Twitter: https://www.x.com/MarkAllanWolfe1
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/markallanwolfe
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/wolfies-music
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/79xTMVrdZaxi0WTDrBjpvP
Image Credits
all images of art work created by Mark Allan Wolfe; Images taken by my wife Donna Wolfe
