We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mark Jones a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Mark, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Ever since I was young, music’s been part of my life. My cousin, Brooke Waggoner, is a touring artist, session musician, and songwriter in Nashville. My grandfather led music for mega churches in the 70s and 80s. Pretty much everyone in my family has some level of musical ability. Learning to play an instrument was simply adding to the family legacy.

I started playing music when I was 8 with piano and began writing songs when I was in high school on guitar. While those songs were awful, it gave me some experience with songwriting. I joined a few bands while in college and got real experience writing for a band, not just guitar/vocal. I put a few covers/original songs on my YouTube channel/Soundcloud, but nothing beyond a hobby. Eventually an event showed me there was no reason to keep these songs hidden.

In March of 2025, my grandfather passed away. He taught me my first chords on guitar when I was teenager and surprised me with his Ovation acoustic when I turned 21. After the funeral, I wrote a poem about the love and loss I feel for my grandfather. That poem turned into the first song I published seriously on Spotify called “Pine Box”.

Since then, I’ve played a songwriting festivals and gigs around New Orleans, Mandeville, and Covington, Louisiana. I’ve released some more singles on my Spotify with a lot more on my SoundCloud. I met some fellow musicians like Paul Faith and Sky Choice that encouraged me to grow in my musicianship and not accept “good enough”. I published a new single about my wife called “Till the End of Time.”

My grandfather’s death showed me that if I don’t start publishing and releasing music seriously, it will never happen. I miss him deeply. I wish he could’ve heard some of the songs I wrote about him since then.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started playing music when I was 8 with piano. It was strictly classical music until I started playing in my local church’s praise team on Keys. I later learned how to play guitar, then bass, then drums, and how to sing.

What I’m most proud of musically is being invited to join some songwriting festivals, not just because they needed someone, but that they liked my songs. I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve followed in my grandfather’s footsteps and began leading music at churches around 5 years ago. It’s an interesting and different experience leading music rather than people simple watching passively.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I learned very early in my life that people do not REALLY care about how well you do. I used to get so nervous before I played that I’d vomit. My mom told me, “if you mess up, they might wince for a second, but they’re more focused on themselves than you.” This is not to say I don’t prep and practice before a show, but getting so nervous that I’m sick as a result? Not worth it.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

A lot of creativity regarding recorded music is simply sitting at an empty DAW with a guitar in your lap, trying to start a bad idea. Sometimes the heavens open, inspiration strikes, and the song comes out quickly. Most of the time though, it’s just boring attempts at mediocrity.

One other point, never feel afraid to go and see a show locally in a genre you’re not as familiar with. I love seeing metal, rap, and punk shows because it’s just freeing to see that kind of creativity on display.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mark_david_music?igsh=MWxweDVhN2NsOGdkNA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@markdavidmusic?si=LOoqRbowTQtOO9qj
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/6krPtq1bRAExlhynu0
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3LD91Q9w8w7QkqDAIBnQiY?si=WGLVGjpcQyaoXhNQLLp9Sw

Image Credits

Photo Credits:
Ashley Alexis Miles
Mark David Jones