tag:markdconklin.com,2005:/blogs/we-say-merry-christmasWe Say Merry Christmas!2020-05-12T22:36:56-04:00Mark D. Conklinfalsetag:markdconklin.com,2005:Post/63141642020-05-12T22:36:56-04:002020-05-12T22:38:23-04:00Toy Soldiers<p>In honor of the recent 75th anniversary marking the end of the war in Europe in 1945, I thought it was an appropriate time to release the lyric video for the song, “Toy Soldiers” from my newly released EP, “Starting Over,” which can be found in its entirety by clicking this link: <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://fanlink.to/MDC-StartingOver-EP" target="_blank">HERE </a></p>
<p>I think we often forget that it’s largely kids, barely out of high school, who are sent to faraway lands to fight wars on our behalf. The average age of the young men who stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day was twenty years old. Twenty. Let that sink in for a moment. And for every young man or woman who puts his or her life on the line to defend us there is most often a mother and father who are left home perpetually crushed by worry and fear. </p>
<p>I wrote this song for them. </p>
<p>Of course, in the midst of this pandemic, I can’t help but listen to this song and think of all the front line workers, medical personnel and first responders that for all intents and purposes are fighting a war on our behalf right here at home. I also can’t help but think of the families that send them off to work every day not knowing if they’ll be safe. So now this song is for them too. </p>
<p>Thankfully, not all of them pay the ultimate price...but they all pay a price nonetheless. Let none of them be forgotten.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Mark D. Conklintag:markdconklin.com,2005:Post/63141622020-05-12T22:31:37-04:002020-05-12T22:31:37-04:00Circus<p><strong>Circus </strong></p>
<p>The second single from my EP, "Starting Over." Wrote this one a while back but finally got around to recording it for this project. I first had the idea when I saw a “little person” on TV who said that he grew up working in a circus and all he ever wanted to do was “run away from it.” After all the years of hearing that old cliché about kids wanting to “run away and JOIN the circus” that really struck me. I think many of us who pursued careers in the entertainment business kind of feel like we DID join the circus! Especially, the ones who turn their lives upside down and move to major cities to pursue their dream. Sometimes the dream comes true. Sometimes it doesn’t. But there always seems to be a price either way.</p>Mark D. Conklintag:markdconklin.com,2005:Post/62912802020-04-22T22:06:20-04:002020-04-22T22:06:20-04:00Starting Over 2020<p>I think there’s a “myth” you buy into when you’re young that at some point you’ll have it all figured out. You’ll settle into your life and career and ride off gently into a suburban sunset. But the truth is for most of us the unexpected continuously shows up in the form of job loss, career changes, break ups, divorce, economic crisis, illness or now, unbelievably, a pandemic. You make it through one only to find yourself on the business end of another when you least expect it. Wash, rinse and repeat. </p>
<p>A few years ago I found myself in one of those all too familiar moments where expectations and reality had decided they were better off staying friends and unceremoniously parted ways. My contract was ending with a company I had been helping to build for several years and I was splitting with an artist I had been managing for more than twice as long. It wasn’t exactly a knock out punch but it definitely left a mark. To clear my head, I rented a small lake house in the Pocono Mountains and spent a week in self-isolation (way before it was the cool thing to do). About half way through the week, I walked down to a spot next to the lake and asked God what he wanted me to do with my life. I heard a response, not out loud, but on the inside. It said, “Teach and make music.” Teach and make music? Who was I supposed to teach and how? I had been conducting workshops for high school students for a while but that certainly wasn’t going to be enough to make a living. And as far as making music, I had spent the previous seven or eight years focusing on the business side of the industry and helping others find their creative voice while largely ignoring my own. I wasn’t even sure I had anything left in the musical tank. Not to mention I hadn’t “gigged” in years. But probably the most daunting part of all was it meant walking away from what I had been building for years. It meant letting go. And it meant starting over. Again. </p>
<p>Of course I had a lot of fear and doubt but I put my head down and got to work. I’ve learned over the years you don’t always need to see the entire road to start moving forward. Sometimes the one or two feet you can see in front of you are enough and the rest will become clear in time. I started looking for an organization that I could partner with to build a contemporary music education program but didn’t have much luck. Then almost exactly one year later to the day from my conversation by the lake, I had my first interview for the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center. I found a home. I couldn’t have imagined a better opportunity to build music education programs for kids in my state and my colleagues at Prudential Center are some of the brightest and most talented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of working alongside. Frankly, it’s humbling. Not to mention the unbelievable honor I’ve had of representing the GRAMMY brand and meeting and interviewing so many great artists for our public programs that have inspired and educated me for my own music! As is often the case, God’s ideas for us are a lot bigger than our own. </p>
<p>So what about the music? Well, after a few starts and stops, I wrote and recorded enough material for two EPs. I had a plan in place to release them throughout this year, develop music videos, book some shows and perform live including an EP release show to coincide with my 50th birthday this weekend. But as you are painfully aware circumstances have changed drastically and much of that will not be possible for the time being. </p>
<p>I considered waiting to release the music until things eased up a bit, but at GMEPC we’re encouraging our students to create and share their music online so we can fill the world with as much music, art and hope as possible. I figured I’d better “walk the walk” and do my part as well. So, I’ll be releasing some music over the next few weeks with simple homemade lyric videos starting with this first one. It’s the title track from the first EP, “Starting Over.” It’s one of the first songs I wrote after that moment by the lake. Of course I was thinking of my own situation at the time but I was also thinking of all of us folks “of a certain age” who’ve learned the hard way that life is a never ending series of “pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.” With all the turmoil of the last few weeks (and what I’m sure will be the next few months) the song has taken on an even deeper meaning for me now. Expectations and reality have not only had an ugly divorce but expectation is suing the crap out of reality for non-support! </p>
<p>There’s no way around it, there’s going to be a whole lot of “starting over” for all of us in the coming weeks and months. I find myself, once again, wrestling with fear and doubt. But in spite of it, I’m going to put my head down, do the work, focus on the one or two feet I can see in front of me and move forward. It’s all I can do and it’s never let me down before. </p>
<p>“Raise ‘em up, raise ‘em high for the ones….starting over” </p>
<p>Prayers and love, </p>
<p>MDC</p>Mark D. Conklin