bio=Like most young Canadians, Mark got his musical foundation on piano. After several years this gave way to an intense study of classical and flamenco style guitar. The complex finger work of these styles allowed Mark to adapt to other instruments quickly. This in turn led to moving into other genres of music such as blues, pop/rock and bluegrass.<br /><br />On a dare, Mark began a study of the Great Highland Bagpipe, an instrument in step with his ancestry. From the first note he coaxed from the pipes he knew he had returned to his musical roots. Celtic music has become his passion.<br />  <br />Over the years his passion for Celtic Music has taken him to many of Eastern Canadas top festival stages and concert halls, live performances as a solo piper, and as a support instrumentalist for numerous groups. Mark has done projects for Canadas national broadcaster CBC and recently has been hired by the City of London to produce a childrens cd for the city's childrens literacy initiative.<br /> His most recent stage act, Rant Maggie Rant, is gaining great momentum and regularly sells out concert halls and is called to perform at many major festivals.<br /><br />Mark regularly plays the following instruments:<br />- guitars, mandolin, 5-string banjo, tenor mandola, Irish flute, Irish whistles, accordion, bodhran, Scottish smallpipes, Highland bagpipes, Welsh pibgyrn, keyboards and various percussion.<br />