Meet Mark Oppenlander | Musician/composer/guitar instructor.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Oppenlander and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, why did you pursue a creative career?
I was lucky enough to be born into a family that loved the arts. In the mid to late 60s the culture was very colorful and I was encouraged to listen to music and absorb art. The Beatles were a major influence on my being. At the age of seven I started taking guitar lessons and as the years went by decided- that’s what I would do with my life. My parents were very encouraging. I went to music school at Temple University (1978-1983) and studied classical guitar. Graduated and was able to make a living teaching guitar and playing gigs. Basically that’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. I play instrumental solo guitar along with heading my music group One Alternative.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 1983, along with oboist Jill Haley and guitarist Frank McDermott, I helped form the music trio ONE ALTERNATIVE. Our single goal was to create interesting music and share it with whomever wanted to listen to it. ONE ALTERNATIVE today is a quintet of oboe [Jill Haley], violin [Dana Allaband], guitar [myself], bass [Chico Huff] and drums [Tony DeAngelis]. The goal is the same; we have some original music and if one wants to listen- it is available.

The main reason ONE ALTERNATIVE has lasted this long period of time is purely the dedication to the music that we create and perform. Being an instrumental group that plays music that is not considered commercially viable is a challenge especially when it comes to having places to perform. In the 80’s through the early 2000’s the music business was much more open to something different . We got some nice opportunities to open for some favorite artists such as Oregon, Billy Cobham, Renaissance, Bill Bruford and the Di Dregs among others.

ONE ALTERNATIVE has released eight albums up to this point with another possibly in the offing. The music scene has changed with streaming on the internet. Delivering recorded music is not as enticing as it once was. In these past, when one put out an LP and/or CD there was the feeling that it was worth the effort, time and money . Today all one has to do is record something on a phone and load it up on the internet. To introduce people to today’s ONE ALTERNATIVE music I rely on videos that are posted on the website www.onealternative.com.

The biggest lesson learned is to remember why I play music.. I am dedicated to the sound that ONE ALTERNATIVE makes and am determined to keep it alive. I’ve learned to have low expectations when it comes to the rate of acceptance and appreciation from a listening audience. There are plenty who enjoy our music but the market is very saturated and the attention span of the public is not what it once was.. One thing that has not changed for me is the dedication to keep things going. As Frank Zappa said… Music is the BEST!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Slowhand in West chester, Pennsylvania. Has the best music original musicranging from jazz to country to rock- five days a week.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shout out would be to my parents. From day one they encouraged me to be myself and do what comes naturally. Music came naturally. I was never told that I should do something a little more conventional when it came to a profession. Throughout the years they both were instrumental in helping/encouraging me to stay on the path I chose.

Website: https://www.onealternative.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=one%20alternative