I first met Mark Elliott in his studio back in the woods outside Nashville, where I had been asked to do vocal production on a mutual client of ours. His control room window contained clouds of (real) butterflies. The plaques on the wall and the instruments around suggested he knew something about bluegrass. Next time I saw him was at the symphony. Then at a vocal lesson, where he revealed one of the best voices I've ever worked with. I also learned he is a hit songwriter and tours with a band named after a musical I worked on (he would say it was the reverse:) And he's a poet and novelist! We traded books and I found out what a treat for the senses his writing is. We began following each other on social networks and I found him a fascinating study in NEVER getting bored!! So I asked him for an interview to share his multi-creative soul with us. If you're in need of some inspiration to move forward, come with us down the rabbit trails we traveled. If you like it... please let us know!

Discipline is connected to inspiration

• Integrating multiple creative and technical sides of oneself.
• How you can start out in classical voice and end up in bluegrass - loving them both!
• The value of both nature and nurture, parents and environment, to Mark's journey.
• Brick walls and turning points
• The difference between writing songs and writing novels.
• Mark recites his latest poem ‘Where Did You Go’ 
• Thinking outside the box for the promotional video series to launch his single 'Craziest Thing'. We play a snippet!
• Mark's experience with a vocal polyp.
• Guitar strings and microphones... including how he cleans his mics.
• Mark's future gazing; encouragement for others to move forward, too.

About Mark Elliott:

Mark started his singer-songwriter career in Washington, DC. Tom Paxton discovered him and led him to Nashville. He has won songwriting awards including the Kerrville New Folk Award, has written for publishing houses including Bluewater Music, Maypop Music group, and Sony Music/ATV, and has had his songs cut by indie and major-label artists. Billboard Magazine called Mark’s Neal McCoy hit, Every Man for Himself, “a song with rare lyrical and musical edge and the best cut on the album.” Other publications have praised his work including Martin Guitar Company’s Sounding Board Magazine, UK’s Maverick Magazine and Music Row Magazine which said Mark was "Almost too good”.  

He tours live with his band, Runaway Home, and has a new solo EP due out summer 2020, with the first single called "Craziest Thing". Mark writes books, blogs, and essays. Kirkus Reviews said of Mark’s first full-length book, The Sons of Starmount: Memoir of a Ten-Year-Old Boy, “Cheerful, more thoughtful than most reminiscences, and quite enjoyable.” Mark is a regular contributor to Songbones Magazine. 

• Find Mark's blog at www.imacre8tivesoul.com. 
• Find Mark’s music and books at  www.markelliottcreative.com 
• Find him on Instagram: @imacre8tivesoul