Mark Zelenz

My version of my story goes like this.... 
The Beatles land at JFK in February 1964 and conquer America.  Nine months later I'm born on Oct 14th.  The running joke in my family due to my dark full hair and eyes is that I'm the milk man's baby.  I did the math and know my mom was a Beatles fan so I'll leave the rest to you the reader.  

So my influences growing up were the Beatles, Jackson 5 and The Chipmunks.  This explains my ability to sing high notes that brings high fives and screams of joy during songs like Dream On, Payphone and any song by Adele.  I also credit a scary time which had long lasting positive effects on my singing abilities.   Upon my birth, my grandfather came to visit at the hospital and gave me the gift of pneumonia.  I was a boy in the bubble to repair my damaged lungs and the doctor prescribed swimming to help my lung capacity.  It worked beyond any measure as I achieved All-American status my senior year in high school.  

So for most of my youth I sang in the shower and when no one was listening.  Yes, I was extremely shy.  But after college to get over my fear of playing for people I grabbed my guitar and harmonica and took the train into Grand Central.  For three hours i sat in that terminal and belted out every Beatle, Dylan, Springsteen and Neil Young song I knew.  I sweated it out and still remember some questions asked of me.  "How long have you been playing?".  Response "about an hour now".  And the young girl who loved my U2 asked "do you know any Dead Milkmen".  I replied "I think mine is still alive but haven't seen him for awhile'.  

So shortly after I joined my cousin and created a band call "The End".  Recorded my first of many solo efforts and would later join childhood friends to create the award winning "Short Bus".  

From 2007 to 2015, The Short Bus has won the Best of the Gold Coast award 7 out of 8 years for best Cover Band.

Thankfully the Short Bus is still riding high and this has allowed me to also concentrate on doing songs solo that don't fit the cover band vibe but do fit everyone's childhood, teenage and adulthood musical memories.