Mark Salcedo

resume 4/18/07

678-294-9568 voice
mark@marksalcedo.com
www.marksalcedo.com
Alpharetta, GA  USA

So, just who is this guy Mark Salcedo anyway? Well, rather than provide you with a dry list of facts regarding what I have done musically, I thought I would instead provide a brief narrative history, hitting a few of the highlights of my various experiences. I hope you find it interesting.

Narrative & History

I began my studies in music theory and classical piano at about age 6 in Southern California under the direction of my father, a music education professional. After several years of instruction from my father, I continued my studies under various private instructors until age 23, most notably with Joseph Ogle, a prominent Julliard trained composer and teacher.

Between the ages of 14 and 19, I entered and won several talent competitions sponsored by Youth Opportunities United, a national youth organization affiliated with the Worldwide Church of God. In 1979, I won contests at the local, district, and regional levels, and thus gained the prestigious opportunity to represent the organization's entire Southern California region in a national talent competition. At this competition, held at Pasadena's amazing Ambassador Auditorium, internationally acclaimed as one of the world's most beautiful and acoustically perfect halls, I performed Rachmaninoff's Prelude in G minor. This event was very memorable for me, because I performed in the same venue and on the same 9 foot German Steinway Concert Grand Piano played by a long list of distinguished artists such as Arthur Rubenstein, Vladimir Horowitz, and Victor Borge. You can read more about the amazing Ambassador Auditorium here.

I attended Ambassador College in Texas during the early 1980's, where I became accompanist for the college concert choir, directed the college dance band, and worked directly for the chairman of the college music department, Roger Bryant. I received much musical inspiration from Mr. Bryant, a lyric tenor who has trained and sung under the direction of Atlanta's own Robert Shaw, and has been a featured soloist with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and many others. One of the highlights of my tenure as chorale accompanist at Ambassador was the concert choir's performance, under Mr. Bryant's direction, of Handel's Messiah, complete with accompaniment by a full chamber orchestra. Mr. Bryant currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Music at Texas A&M, and you can read more about him here.

Since 1974, I have performed numerous piano solos, including works by Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Bach, and Mozart. Many of these solos were performed at the annual regional conferences of the Worldwide Church of God, for audiences always consisting of thousands of people, at times even over 10,000. These experiences certainly helped me with confidence in public performing, to say the least. The conferences were held in locations all around the United States, including Alaska, California, Texas, Colorado, Georgia, and Florida. Also, I developed my talents as an accompanist, having accompanied hundreds of choirs, ensembles, and soloists in thousands of performances throughout the last 30 years. One of my most memorable accomplishments was a complete performance of Johannes Brahm's German Requiem, performed in 1988. You can read more about the Worldwide Church of God, now named Grace Communion International, here. The church has a fascinating history.

I have also been very active in a musical leadership role, particularly in the direction of church choirs. Since 1985, I have directed several choirs in California, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. In 2000, my wife and I both became members of Perimeter Church, a church of several thousand members located in Duluth, Georgia. A few years after joining, I became a member of the choir leadership team at Perimeter. I still serve in this capacity, and also assist with the choir director responsibilities as needed. Here is a link to Perimeter Church's website.

In August of 2006, I realized that I needed to do more to follow my musical passion, and to that end, sought a teacher with whom I could resume study of the piano. Subsequently, God led me to a wonderful instructor, a former student of Heinrich Gebhard (Dean of American Piano Teachers and official pianist of the Boston Symphony) - Mrs. Nancy Goff Arnold. Mrs. Arnold has been and continues to be instrumental in furthering the development of my talents, and has been very kind and gracious in mentoring me in my teaching activities. Here is a link to her studio's website.

Within a few month months of beginning advanced piano studies with Mrs. Arnold, I was honored and excited to begin instructing my own students in piano with the Academy of the Arts at Perimeter Church. It is just really wonderful to be able to do something I truly love, and help others learn to increase in their own artistic talents and endeavors. God is just absolutely amazing to have blessed me with this opportunity!

Education

1981 - 1983   Ambassador University, Big Sandy, TX. Associate of Arts in Theology

                     Accompanied the Ambassdor College Chorale 

                     Directed the school dance band.