Mark Gentile, Guitarist & Songwriter

Mark Gentile, Guitarist & Songwriter

Mark Gentile, Guitarist & Songwriter

By: Rebecca Lister

OCTOBER 6th, 2017

MUSIC LAB
The guitarist of Bunktown joins us to talk music and songwriting
Mark joined us in our Music Lab earlier this year and shared his musical journey with us, as well as his inspiration for writing music. We were charmed by his live acoustic performance and recorded a couple of songs with our acoustic mic system. Click here to see the full video, including live performance.

“I was so fascinated by Aerosmith, and as soon as I heard it I was like, ‘what is this? This is fantastic music!’ And so basically, that’s when I kind of sold my soul, if you will.”

When did you first know you wanted to play music?

It all started in the 3rd grade. My dad took me to Disney World and took me on the Rock and Roller coaster and I was so fascinated by Aerosmith, and as soon as I heard it I was like, “what is this? This is fantastic music!” And so basically, that’s when I kind of sold my soul, if you will.

Mark reps his appreciation for Aerosmith.

Image curtesy of Mark Gentile

How often do you play?

Every day. But, I think rest days are definitely important so you can get refreshed. You’re always learning. A lot of people kind of get content with knowing what they know and they don’t expand, but I think it’s important to consistently learn.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Life! Life. I find it very boring to be stagnant, to stay in the same place and be complacent. I find it important to let inspiration find you instead of trying to find it because then you’re almost forcing something that isn’t there.

What are your goals for your music career?

So, I don’t want to be the man, you know, pop star who all the lights shine on as the main act. I want to be the side kick who does his job really well, but at the same time I can go out to a restaurant and nobody asks me for my autograph or wants a picture.

I basically want all the benefits of the music lifestyle without the fame.

Why do you play music? What does it mean to you and what does it bring to your life?

A lot! For me, personally, it brings me happiness. And then, also it brings other people together and makes other people happy. That’s what I really get the most out of.

For me there’s nothing like showing up to a gig where the place is empty and then by the time you’re done, you have the whole place dancing and having a great time. Then, at the end of the night, they come up and thank you for playing. For me there’s no greater satisfaction.

The members of Bunktown, from left: Ephraim Lowell (drums), Mike Gravel (guitar), Mark Gentile (guitar), and Dalton Makrush (bass)

Image curtesy of Mark Gentile

“I really like this little box! It makes everything very woody, transparent and natural.”

Check out our Your Heaven Audio CloseUp System on the Products page.

About the CloseUp System…

 I really like this little box! It makes everything very woody, transparent and natural, much different than an acoustic pickup…it’s that good!

YH Team Member: “So you’re hearing your pickup through the speaker again now. Ok, through the monitor. You can hear the difference?” 

Yeah, mine sounds like S*#T now!

Mark Gentile & his trusty guitar

Image curtesy of Mark Gentile

Mark often plays with bandmate and fellow guitarist and singer Mike Gravel. The two are featured together in this exclusive demo video:

YH Music Lab Featured Artist: Armand Aromin

YH Music Lab Featured Artist: Armand Aromin

YH Music Lab Featured Artist:

Armand Aromin

Violinist and Luthier

By: Rebecca Lister

SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2017

YH MUSIC LAB SERIES VIDEOS

On his journey:

I went to Berklee College of Music for about 2 ½ years and then realized I didn’t want to be in music education and then I dropped out, because that’s what you do when you go to Berklee. And then I went to the University of Limerick in Ireland (cause I thought that’s what I wanted to do), for a semester, left, and then went back to Boston to do violin making. I graduated three years ago, and now I’m standing here.

I have a duo with my partner Ben, and we tend to do a lot of folk music, a lot of English folk songs, Irish tunes, English tunes, Swedish tunes, American songs and tunes, like anything that sounds catchy and attractive to us, we’ll kind of make it our own. We’ll even do a few Muppet songs!

Armand Ivy Leaf Project

Photograph by Your Heaven Audio

On the challenges of amplifying his violin:

On the challenges of amplifying his violin: I tried a built-in violin pick-up but that involved tuning the strings down, lifting up the bridge, and I didn’t realize at the time, but it’s an added layer underneath the bridge so the action’s going to be higher, and because this rubber material was going over the top of the instrument it’s slightly muting.

And because you’re not having the wood-to-wood contact between the bridge feet and the body, you’re also kind of missing out [as] it’s vibrating less freely. So, that was annoying!

So, more regularly I use a clip on condenser, an Audio Technica one.

But, because of the nature of some of my gigs, I end up getting annoying feedback, especially if I’m trying to play with a band that has amplified instruments. It’s such a nightmare! It gives me like, anxiety to play a gig like that because I know that they have to crank me up, but they can’t because that’s just going to feed back as soon as all the other instruments start playing.

“It almost doesn’t sound like there’s an amplifier next to me. It just sounds like my instrument somehow got louder.”

On trying the CloseUp® System for the first time:

This [CloseUp® System] is pretty awesome! It sounds like my instrument. Yeah, I really like it. It’s nice because it just sounds like an amplified version of what I’m already playing.

The low end doesn’t sound too muddy or boomy at all. The high end is not overly bright. It almost It almost doesn’t sound like there’s an amplifier next to me. It just sounds like my instrument somehow got louder. Which would be awesome!

Music Lab Series: GADADU

Music Lab Series: GADADU

GADADU visits the Your Heaven® Music Lab and violist and co-songwriter Hannah Selin tries out the Your Heaven® CloseUp® Mic System. This video features her performing a short piece using a loop pedal using the CloseUp® Mic System as the input.

http://gadadu.com | http://gadadu.bandcamp.com

Your Heaven Music Lab Series is a weekly music session featuring local and touring artists. Our guests come down to Your Heaven HQ in Providence, RI to hang with the YH team, tell us about themselves, play, and try out our Close-up Mic Systems. Contact us if you’re interested in visiting the YH Music Lab.

The CloseUp® Mic System captures the natural, authentic sound of an acoustic instrument for amplification or recording – it’s like your personal audio engineer in a box.