Mark DuBerry
Electro-acoustic ambient rock
with a jazz flavour

Biography

Mark DuBerry is a guitarist and songwriter / composer from Dublin, Ireland. He plays and writes music which is a hybrid of electronic-ambient, progressive rock, classical and jazz-fusion. He has always been drawn to music which combines and blends different genres as he finds this sort of fusion the most exciting and creative. Artists like the Yes rock group, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Weather Report, The Yellowjackets, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Brian Eno and Pete Namlook are among his main influences. So he has given his particular style of music the name 'Electro-acoustic ambient rock with a jazz flavour'.

Current Projects

Among his recent music releases, Mark has produced a 2nd CD entitled 'Head Room'. This is a collection of mostly instrumental pieces which feature his eclectic style of composition and guitar playing. For more information, see the 'Latest CD' link under 'News'. Have a listen to music samples here and order the CD here. Although this is a solo work, Mark is currently performing this material with a band. See the 'Gigs' link for further info.

Background

Mark was a classical guitarist during the early phase of his career. He performed in various concert and other venues throughout Dublin while at the same time developing a keen interest in progressive rock and other more experimental music. He pursued his interest in writing by studying composition with the composer James Wilson. He played in different band projects including a tour with a multi-media theatre production. Around this time he composed and recorded the music for a rock musical.

A move to London brought about a collaboration with fellow musician David Hammond and the release of an album of 'New Age music with depth' entitled 'Openings'. This album was featured on radio in the USA.

His growing interest in jazz took him into studying jazz-fusion guitar and he also did a course in jazz theory, composition and arranging at the City Lit in London. This led to a position as the guitarist in a jazz big band featuring all original compositions and arrangements. He composed two pieces which were performed by this band. At this time, he also played in a smaller jazz combo. Later on when back in Dublin, Mark undertook a further course of study in jazz at the Newpark School of Music, a course which was run under the auspices of the Guildhall School of Music in London (though he chose not to do the Guildhall exams).

After the course, Mark continued to compose and produced his first CD entitled 'Escalate', a compilation of pieces written and recorded over a ten-year period. The track 'Freefall' won an award of merit in the Unisong International Song Contest in 1998.

Around the same time, Mark played lead guitar in a Steely Dan tribute band. This band played gigs in and around Dublin for a number of years. Concurrently, Mark began work on his latest recording project 'Head Room'.

Future Plans

These include continuing to give live performances of the material from 'Head Room' as well as writing more music for release on CD. Mark is also interested in writing music for film.

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