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

Mark, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Like, I suspect, a lot of people, I wish I’d taken piano lessons for more than that one summer when I was 10. Or that I’d picked up the guitar sooner than the summer after graduating from high school. And after singing and writing songs in a few bands in my mid- to late 20s, I wish I hadn’t been content to simply play the drums. Looking back, I probably could’ve found a way to pursue music when my son was born, instead of taking a break from everything.

But while there are a few things I could’ve done differently, I try not to dwell on the past, instead using these experiences to inform the decisions I make now and in the future.

The thing is, I’m pretty happy with my creative pursuits right now. I’m 44, and I think knowing that I’m too old to “make it big” — already a dicey proposition regardless of one’s age — has freed me from the pressures of quantifying my success. I go at my own pace, choose projects I want to work on, and cheer on other people’s victories.

Also, who’s to say things would’ve turned out differently if only I’d started sooner? I love the songs I write now, and I don’t think I could’ve written them without the years I’ve lived and the things I’ve learned.

Mark, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I write songs, perform, and record music under the name Desert Atlas.

This project officially launched on December 12, 2019, when I performed as the featured artist at the Burns Family Artisan Ales open mic in Denver. It was my first time using that moniker in public.

Just a few months later, COVID hit and everything shut down. Stuck at home, I began recording the tracks that would eventually make up my first solo full-length album, “The Great Plains are an Ocean.”

Released in June 2021, “Great Plains” generated a bit of local press. I got a write-up in 303 Magazine, got played on Indie 102.3 and performed for the Local 303 meetup live and online.

Maybe most importantly, it was something I could point to when booking shows. Having a record on Spotify allowed strangers to get an idea of my music, showcasing my literate lyrics and thoughtful compositions.

Since then, I’ve played shows both solo and with a band at a variety of venues across the Front Range — Denver institutions such as Lost Lake, Larimer Lounge, and Mercury Cafe, new venues like the Roxy on Broadway and Enigma Bazaar, festivals such as Down in Denver and Lafayette Music Festival, breweries, ice cream shops, and more. The highlight so far has been performing in front of several hundred folks at TEDxMileHigh — an amazing experience.

I’m looking forward to playing more shows and, yes, recording another album. I’ve learned a lot and written so many songs since my first album, and can’t wait to share them.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I get the most pleasure out of writing a good song.

While I think I have a talent for it, it’s difficult. I have high standards for myself. I don’t want to use common chord progressions. If a melody sounds familiar, I’ll ditch it and try something else. The lyrics must be completely original, be cohesive, and have depth. As a writer and communicator in my professional life, words are incredibly important.

So, having set these parameters, it’s incredibly satisfying to create, from scratch, a fully formed work. I’d spend all day writing songs if I could–it can be very frustrating when you’re in the middle of it, but the breakthroughs are incredibly sweet.

I also have to add that I’ve made so many friends and connections through music and that has been incredibly rewarding as well. I love seeing people perform, and I know they’re good when they make me want to go home and get started on a song.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Big picture, I think society–business owners, music fans, artists themselves–needs to get away from the idea that artists don’t need to be compensated fairly because are they are pursuing something they are passionate about.

People need to recognize that when a musician plays an hourlong gig, it’s not one hour of work–it’s years of practice, thousands of dollars invested in equipment, hauling gear from show to show, designing flyers, working social media, wrangling bandmates, and so much more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://desertatlasmusic.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/desertatlasmusic/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desertatlas
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DesertAtlas303/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@desertatlas
• TikTok: @desert.atlas