Mark Carter Productions

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Real Life Stories....
I took a drive into Hollywood last night to hear some Jazz. 
As I was driving up the 101 freeway I had a flash back to a gig over 30 years ago. 
Bank of America use to have a building right off the freeway and they called me 
one year for their employee party. It was a bit of an unusual gig !! 
They wanted a 4 piece band to play a variety of music for different departments 
throughout the night from 11 pm to 7 am ..............on the roof !!
We would play an hour and and then have an hour off.
Then the next department would come up to the roof and eat and enjoy the music. 
What a night !!

I'm sure I drank a gallon of coffee and this was the longest gig in my book.
The band and I got through it. It did pay well, 
but I have never done an all nighter since.
At one point during the night I kept thinking about another band 
playing on a rooftop in London years ago.
The Beatles got shut down and for some reason we did not.......
Show biz .... go figure !

My 5th CD is being mixed as we speak,
I'm looking forward to sharing it with you in the next few months. 
I think you'll like it !
Stay Tuned......

Blessings.......Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Happy Valenetines Day !

My Solo Show on Valentines

February 14 2025 6-9 pm

Please RSVP by February 11 2025

(Very Limited Seating)

The Red Lounge Crepe Cafe

222 N Glendora Ave

Glendora CA

626-691-6637

Come join us for romantic music and great food !

($30 minimum per person)

Blessings…….Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Happy New Year !
I'm a bit late on this one, but the year is already off 
and running, so here's a little update.

I had some time off for the Holidays which was very
nice. I have played tons of Holiday parties and I did
a few this past December as well. But I did take time to fly up to 
Utah and spend Christmas with my son and his family. 
I enjoyed the beautiful cold weather and even some snow 
the day after Christmas.
Jason has a beautiful Siberian Huskie and 
I tried to put her in my suitcase..... but oh well.
And I'm happy to report Simon and I are caught up with the lateset 
Sonic movie. We were able to see Sonic 2 together on the last visit 
and now Sonic 3 and patiently awaiting the next !

The next CD is coming along beautifully and I think
you will enjoy some great playing by friends old and new.

I'm still teaching guitar at home and on Facetime and Zoom. 
There's some new talent on the horizon folks and 
It's great that parents know the value of learning a instrument !

...And I'm working on some new places to 
get out and play Mark Carter music in 2025.
So stay tuned ....Thats it for this one folks.

Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed
Love from West Covina CA.........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

It's been fun to look back and share my story with you all this year
and I'm looking forward to the next season in life , 
which is unfolding before my eyes.
All these years of performing 250-300 times a year
I was wondering when I was going to take the time
to make Guitar records and take the time to chronicle the music 
floating in and out of my head.

The past three years I've really taken the time to
nuture that need and write and record in my studio.
I'm happy to announce my fifth CD will land in the spring of 2025
with ten new tunes I've composed.Some great musicans have put 
some sweetness on this one. Looking forward to sharing it with you !

It's a good time of the year to count blessings.
Wait.....EVERYDAY is a good day to do that !
Once again I say thank you for all the love, support and friendship 
through all these years. I often get calls from musicians and friends 
that I've known for 30 to 40 years and enjoy sweet memories 
and good conversation.What a gift !

I'm wisihing you and your's all the blessings this season
holds. May we all enjoy family and friends just a few
more minutes than usual.... The real gifts in this life.

Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed
Love from West Covina CA.........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

I was thinking again about the High School days….

I had taken a Classical Guitar workshop at Cal State Fullerton and met a much older guitar player.He was still playing hotels with a band and I took lessons from him. He introduced me to the music of Charlie Christian and we had a great time. One night around April or May of my senior year he called and said there was a opening in a friends band and he thought I would be a good fit, But I had to take the job now and quit school. I told him I had to ask my folks. To my surprise they said it was my call, they knew where my heart was and I was ready to jump in. My teacher said the band was working alot and playing constantly. I thought about it and I passed on taking the job. I had no interest in College but I wanted to at least finish High School.At this time in higher education there were very few guitar classes at the college level. Berklee in Boston was the only thing close to what interested me, but I wanted to stay in LA. I believe Cal State Fullerton was one of the few that offered some kind of degree in Classical Guitar, which had no appeal to me. I’ve takin all kinds of seminars and lessons with some of the best guitarist in the world on my journey and as I mentioned last month there has been an incrediable variety of work for me that I have enjoyed. But not once as a working musician has anyone ever asked for my High School Diploma…. :).    No complaints !!

If you are out in the desert on a Tuesday night you can catch my solo show …

November 19 2024

5:00-7:00 pm

Renaissance Esmeralda Resort

44400 Indian Wells Lane

Indian Wells CA 92210

Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed

Love from West Covina CA………Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Last month I shared how music came into my life.
I want to go back because I forgot an important part.
There was always a guitar in the house I grew up in.
My dad and my three older brothers could play a
couple of chords at one time or another.
So the guitar was always there.

In high school I become obsessed with practicing,
everyday after school 3 or 4 hours and just enough
homework to get me through classes. By the time I was a senior 
I was making money playing in a band that played military bases 
on the weekends and helped the band director teach a guitar class 
at the junior high.

The writing was on the wall...

I graduated in June and in October I was playing
in a restaurant with a singer in Pomona CA
The following year we put together a band and played 
Holiday Inn's and the Hilton chain up and down the coast.
I was paying my bills playing the guitar.....

200-300 jobs a year for 50 years.
100's of recording sessions as a guitarist.
Churches, Weddings, Restaurants, Bars, Anniveraries,
Birthday parties, Hotels and Private Country Clubs in 
Los Angeles and out to the desert.

Celebrity gigs with Englebert Humperdink,
Glen Campbell, Al Jarreau, Lee Greenwood,
Dave Koz, Roger Williams, David Foster
and live TV at the Crystal Cathedral...and more

Like any other job there's been highs and lows
but I'm grateful to still be using God's gift every week
And......There's more to come...

Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed
Love from West Covina CA.........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

I may be repeating myself here, but I got a call recently and an old friend ask me 
where music began in my life. I said, I can't remember when music was not a 
part of of my life. My 3 older brothers were always blasting the radio and dancing 
and acting silly. My mon loved to sing and her father was a musician, guitar teacher 
and Baptist minister in Tulsa Ok. There were plenty of Sundays with fried chicken 
and Gospel tunes at my grandparents house. 
I did take a few lessons before we came to California at age 10, 
Music was always a fun time in my family....and still is. 

In junior high I met a buddy learning to play guitar and we became friends 
still to this day.Learning the music of  The Beatles, CCR, The Doors, Johnny Cash,                                       The Ventures and I was buying Chet Atkins records with my paper route money.
Then one of my older brothers brought home Wes Montgomery's  "Tequila" 
and my listening habits changed ...
enter Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Joe Pass, Pat Martino and more !

Music is Music and I've learned so much from so many.
I'll stop here and leave the High school adventures until next month..... 
until then....
Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed
Love from West Covina CA.........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers



Hope you are enjoying your summer and staying

cool folks, LA has had its share of hot ones !



I am not a morning person !

For many, many years I played late nights in

restaurants,bars,and parties. 

It was not unusual to find me going to bed at 3 am.

Those days are in the rear view mirror now, but

as a result I still stay up until midnight and up by 8am.

It's a rare day for me to watch a sunrise but when I have

it's always been a special time for me.

On the new CD "Brand New Day" I wrote a tune

called "Sunrise" I think its feels like that early morning

time to me. Check it out and let me know what you think.



Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed

Love from West Covina CA.........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

I hope everyone had a nice July 4th

I had a good time rocking the seniors of Whittier CA

Nothin like waving ol’ Glory one more time .

I added a tune this year from Brooks and Dunn

“Only In America” . It’s the only tune I know

that mentions LA , NYC, and Oklahoma.

Love the lyrics…fun tune !

I had a nice visit from my life long buddy John A

last week. John and I began playing guitar together

when we were 12. His family is from MO and mine is from OK.

He ran his own furniture repair shop up

in Sacrmento and just retired to Tuscon AZ….

So there we were in the living room pickin out

old Bluegrass tunes and even some Ventures !

Music can sure take you back in a heartbeat.

Good Times !

That friendship has lasted a long time because

of our love for Music and I was thinking the other day….

How many people have I met because of Music

in my lifetime??…..it’s impossible to count.

What a beautiful way to connect with people,

Music….and I’m a grateful man.

Stay Healthy, Stay Blessed

Love from West Covina CA………Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers



Well....I'm late !

I hope everyone is staying cool out there.

I've been working on another CD and

singin the Technology Blues this month.



My recording equipment is getting older and  I 

decided to go shopping and dive into some new

gear. There's always a learning curve involved

with this stuff and it just takes time. 



Anyways, I'm a few more steps down the line today 

and thought I'd say hi.

I've been juggling all that with teaching 

and private gigs...and I'm still a busy boy !

I got lot's of friends that have retired lately...

but they ain't musicians !



Stay healthy my friends

Until next time..........Mark