Mark Blacknell
| Mark Blacknell | |
|---|---|
| File:Mark Blacknell.jpgMark Blacknell.jpg Blacknell Photo Shoot, West Palm Beach, Florida | |
| Born | Mark Robert Blacknell July 20, 1970 Darby, Philadelphia, U.S.A |
| 🏳️ Citizenship | American |
| 💼 Occupation |
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| 🏡 Home town | Vero Beach, Florida, U.S.A |
| 🌐 Website | www |
Mark Blacknell (born Mark Robert Blacknell; July 20, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and filmmaker who is best known for being the lead singer of the bands Asperilla Mint and Blacknell. Known for his distinct style of vocals and intricate story-telling, his 1960’s influenced Folk-Rock sound has received both national and international attention. He is also known for his work on the award winning documentary film, Woke Up Alive (2009) which chronicles his two year journey across Israel. In 2013 Blacknell released his first solo album Blue Arrow and his second album When Rain Was Fun was released on November 25, 2014. He recently signed a distribution, licensing and publishing deal for both albums with the Sugo Music Group for international sales and placements. Blacknell is a registered ASCAP songwriter and publisher under the company name BlacknellMusic.
Early life
Blacknell was born Mark Robert Blacknell in the Philadelphia suburb of Darby, Pennsylvania on July 20, 1970, to Robert Joseph Blacknell and Margaret Mary Crawford. Though not hippies themselves, his parents idolized aspects of the 1960’s counter-culture movement, particularly its music. Blacknell was first exposed to the bands of the Woodstock Soundtrack most notably Crosby Stills Nash and Young. In the early 1970s the family, including Blacknell's sister Janet, moved to Aston, Pennsylvania. It was at this point that Blacknell discovered in his parent’s record collection the albums that would come to define his musical interests: Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) and Abbey Road (1969) by The Beatles. Blacknell spent a significant portion of his childhood alone in his bedroom deciphering the lyrics of his ever evolving The Beatles album collection.
Out of high-school Blacknell worked as a box-loader for the Teamsters Union, while doubling as a small time sports bookie, after which he enlisted as an infantryman in the Marines. He served during Operation Desert Storm spending a majority of his enlistment overseas. Blacknell nearly died in a helicopter accident while training, contracted a serious form of bacterial phenomenon in the jungles of the Philippines and received two Meritorious-Masts for distinguished service before honorably exiting the military as one of America's many disabled veterans.
Fresh out of the Marines and into Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1993, Blacknell's musical day-dreams turned to reality when he was enlisted into his first front-man role by members of a local cover-band who overheard him perfectly mimicking Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. His inaugural gig at a local fraternity house was a disaster and after one performance Blacknell vowed to only write and perform his own songs from then on. While attending the University of Western Sydney, Australia in 1995 Blacknell teamed up with California's Sylvan Hill to form the original act Zoe's Lair. The Lair was best known for performances around the youth hostels of Queensland.
In film
Woke Up Alive
Blacknell’s life took an abrupt turn in the latter part of 2005 when he left Pennsylvania to make the documentary movie, Woke Up Alive in Israel. The theme of the movie centers around the ideas of ecological philosopher Thomas Berry and Blacknell’s friend and mentor Dr. Yossi Leshem, an ornithologist at the University of Tel Aviv, Israel. Blacknell and Leshem believe that nature and music are so universal that they have the potential to bring people who are otherwise mortal enemies together for peaceful purposes. His presence on the Israel/Lebanon border during the Summer War of 2006, as well as his two subsequent years roaming the Holy Land further developed Blacknell’s story-telling abilities. Winner of the 2010 Treasure Coast Film Festival for Best Documentary and nominated in several other festivals worldwide, Woke Up Alive most recently received an invite to the Monterey UN Film Festival for 2015
Music
Asperilla Mint
Asperilla Mint first evolved in 1996 upon Blacknell’s return to Pennsylvania from Australia. During long jam sessions in the working-class neighborhoods of suburban Philadelphia he met guitarist Kevin Timothy formerly of the Indiana, Pennsylvania band the Next Presidents. Blacknell and Timothy formed the core of this band which started off as an improvising, blues based, jam act that included dozens of revolving players. The Mint’s final, most cohesive and successful line-up however, played many rooms throughout the East Coast and was best known for assuming the role as weekly house-band for Doc Watson’s Pub and Name that Bar. Blacknell/Timothy formed strong ties with many club owners across the Tri-State area. A booking agency called What it is! emerged and over a two year period between 1997 and 1999 the pair booked hundreds of shows including national acts. To promote the shows, What It Is! published a free, monthly music magazine.
Blacknell Band
In 2005, Blacknell met Harrisburg, Pennsylvania area guitarist Rich Wisner (an original member of the popular local group El Kabong) and together the pair recorded acoustic versions of songs that have come to define Blacknell’s psychedelic folksy sound. Since then, Blacknell has written two albums and enlisted a world-class support band led by Florida Rock and Roll legend Bob Gaffney (formerly of Firefall). Blacknell utilizes a team of interns to help with promotion and other aspects of his career, has been featured internationally on radio and the web and is a frequent "guest" performer at several local Treasure Coast, Florida venues. Blacknell plans to perform his material live at selected regional venues starting in early 2015.
Albums
Blue Arrow
Blacknell was a regular performer at the kibbutz’ of Northern Israel. Blacknell recorded several of his previous songs, as well as many new ones with Israeli producer/musician Noam Lavi in 2007 but the project stalled when he left Israel after completion of the movie for the island of Maui, Hawaii in 2008.
The natural beauty and diverse culture of Maui inspired the singer/songwriter in Blacknell like no other place and dozens of new songs emerged over a five year period. A visit back to the Holy Land in 2011 allowed Blacknell to reconnect with Lavi to lay down several more tracks. All of the Lavi produced recordings were finally released together in Maui on February 3, 2013 as Blacknell’s nine song, debut album Blue Arrow.[8]
When Rain Was Fun
Now based out of Vero Beach, Florida, Blacknell worked long-distance with Lavi and eventually completed his second release When Rain Was Fun in November 2014. [8] When Rain was Fun is the next evolution of Blue Arrow, a group of thirteen songs each with its own story woven together into one musical novel. Also important to this project was Gully Shell, a long-time Vero Beach musician and accomplished music instructor. Shell's commitment to the musical composition/song-writing elements of the project was instrumental in the beginning stages.
Nature Conservation and Advocacy
Pennsylvania
Blacknell took a long hiatus from music in 2000, working as a PA State Park Ranger and earning a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Widener University of Chester, Pennsylvania (2001). With his new degree in hand, he was appointed as a conservation policymaker for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources team of Governor Ed Rendell and worked there up until his departure for Israel in late 2005. [9]
International
Blacknell’s work with Dr. Yossi Leshem in Israel led to several conservation consulting jobs including one with the Upper Galilee region EU sponsored LIFE program and another with the Kafar Blum Kayak Company.
Florida
Blacknell currently works as an administrator for the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Vero Beach, Florida supporting Everglades restoration and other important environmental causes. [10]
Musical style and influences
Blacknell’s brand of songwriting/performance are widely viewed as spiritual successors to the classic rock tones of the 60's, but he adds to this unique elements that belie the spirit of his extraordinary life. Known for sophisticated lyrics, arrangements and production coupled with a catchy Beatles (yet occasionally dark, Lou Reed influenced) feel, Blacknell has developed his own sound.
Personal life
In April 2006, Blacknell met Orit Stamker at Kibbutz Dafna in Israel while making the movie "Woke Up Alive." The couple have two children together (Aviya and Yanai) and were married on Maui in 2008. While living on Maui, Blacknell also immersed himself in Jewish study and meditation without excluding a practice of other traditional techniques like Yoga. Blacknell also developed a friendship with his next door neighbor, actor Woody Harrelson. In 2010, Blacknell officially converted to Judaism. In 2014, Blacknell began writing a blog for the Times of Israel and his publically stated advocacy for the Jewish State led to his nickname the Anti-Roger Waters (former Pink Floyd front-man and ardent critic of Israel). [11]
External links
References
Sources
- “Disabled Vet Finds Hope in Music and Nature”. Vandalmagazine.com. November 25, 2014
- “Bonging in the Moonlight”. Captainsib.com. August 2, 2014
- “IMDb listing”.Imdb.com. 2009
- “Reverbnation Contest Winner Mark Blacknell”. Amusednow.com. August 14, 2014
- “Mark Blacknell”. www.mtv.com.
- “Treasure Coast International Film Festivals Draws 200 Entries”.www.tcpalm.com. Feb 27, 2010
- “What it Is! Covers Local Music Beat.” Delaware County Daily Times.August 13, 1998
- “Mark Blacknell.”https://itunes.apple.com.
- “West Branch Susquehanna River Watershed.”www.lycoming.edu. February 11, 2005
- “USFWS Staff Directory.” www.fws.gov.
- “Song Dedicated to the IDF.”http://www.timesofisrael.com/. August 4, 2014
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
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