Mark Carter Productions

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

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers



Hope everyone is enjoying this nice weather

we are having here in So Cal.



I'd like to share a little about Guitar teaching the

past few years. The High School age that I teach

has almost zero interest in today's Pop music.

Most of my current students are interested in

Music Theory or Jazz Guitar studies and a bit

of Classic Rock.. My how the world has changed !

I remember back in the 80's when EVERY new

student would want to start at Eddie Van Halen :)

My current students are much more open to

any kind of music that has stood the test of time.



I shared the following story on Facebook 

and its a good example of what I'm seeing....

I was playing at a local country club a couple of weeks

ago and asked for request. A young guy 12 or 13 years

old ask if I could play Polka Dots and Moonbeams

by Wes Montgomery !! I asked him how he knew that song 

and he said he was playing bass in the school band.

....Yea Band Programs !!



There's nothing wrong with Billie Eillish or

Taylor Swift but there is a new generation of

music students that wants more.

The future is looking bright my friends .



And... 

The new CD "Brand New Day"

has hit 3 million streams worldwide

It's available now on YouTube and all the streaming

platforms. The next single being released ts

"Mi Senorita de San Juan"....Enjoy !





Until next time...

Stay Blessed........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Spring has sprung ..but not in the desert !!

I’m Rancho Mirage today and about to play at

a private country club…..It’s 93 degrees !!

I took a little spring break myself with a road

trip to see my son and his family in Utah.

Church on Easter with his wife’s family for dinner.

Shopping with the Gkids (because that’s what we do)

Jason and I snuck into to town to hear a Jazz trio

at a coffee shop and we went to a Gypsy Jazz Jam

with guitars in hand.

Nothing like playing guitar with your son !

and……he got 2 gigs out of it 🙂

My new CD “Brand New Day” has hit 2 million

streams worldwide and I couldn’t be happier.

It’s available now on YouTube and all the streaming

platforms. If you get a minute, give it a spin and

let me know what you think the next single should be.

Ok..I’m off and a runnin…ughhhhh…pickin that is !

Until next time…

Stay Blessed……..Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers



Happy St Patty's  Day !



Here's a thought....

Isn't it amazing that in this country

we celebrate St Patty's Day AND

Spring Break in the same month ??

That's some serious partying going on folks

Only in America ! 

 

In March I always celebrate the birth of 

Wes Montgomery, one of the greatest Jazz Guitarist

to walk this planet. I recently wrote and recorded

another tune to honor Wes,..."Naptown"

He was born in Indianapolis Indiana

and laid to rest there also.

This track features some incrediable Organ

playing by my good buddy Jon Hartmann.

You can check it out on my newest CD

Brand New Day.



And speaking of the new CD,...

Jazz Guitar Today wrote a beautiful review of  it

last month and Smoothjazz.com is doing an excellent

job of promoting it to over 200 stations around

the globe with over 1.76 Million streams 

in less then a month ....Grateful !!!



Well, there's strings to change, lessons to write,

another gig to play, some recording to work on,

and tires to rotate !



Until nest time...

Stay Blessed........Mark

Hi Friends, Fans and Music Lovers

Happy Valentines Day !

One of my favorite holidays… and yep

like many musicians I got the Romantic Heart.

As a matter of fact my first single off the new CD

Brand New Day is called First Love.

The title came from a friend

who heard me working on it and said “Mark,

that sounds like a young couple, with no money,

living in her mom’s house and he’s driving a

beat up old Chevy !!

It’s soooo romantic it sounds like …First Love “

That’s a pretty good scenario and

who hasn’t had a First Love ??

First Love features some Great Saxophone work

from the legendary Greg Vail !

I’m going to implement a new policy this month.

Instead of listing all of my private gigs I will just

wait until I start booking some more public gigs.

I’ve been really blessed since 2022 and have been

performing 10-15 times a month and teaching

a dozen private guitar lessons a week.

176 gigs for 2023…..I’m a grateful man !!

Feel free to email or call

Mcpgtrtrax@aol.com or 626-485-9266

Stay Blessed……..Mark