Jazz Sensation Mark Sloniker steals the show at Sunset Lounge (Q&A)
I was lucky enough to sit down with Fort Collins’ jazz sensation, Mark Sloniker, for an interview on Friday evening. I conducted the interview in the Elizabeth Hotel’s Sunset Lounge, as it’s where he plays his main weekly jazz gig, and because of it’s luxurious atmosphere and taste for authenticity. Mark had just finished his show alongside stand up bass player, Max Williams, when we sat down for the interview. Just below the musical pin on his lapel, he wore his passion for music right on his chest and had plenty of great things to share during our time together. Our conversation went like this:
Ben: Well Mark, thank you for meeting on such sort notice, how was your gig tonight?
Mark: It’s no problem! The longer I can enjoy the Sunset Lounge the better. I thought it went well, my partner Max and I we were able to put on a fun show for the crowd, and we even had an audience member propose tonight, which was very humbling.
Ben: How exciting! Let’s actually start right there. I understand you bring in friends to play with you, tell me a little about them.
Mark: “Yeah so I have a couple regulars that I bring in to play with me, like Alex, who are friends I’ve met in the industry, but I also like to bring in new, upcoming artists to mix it up every now and then.”
“I’ll usually be on the piano or trombone, and then I’ll have a bass player or a vocalist come in to jam along.”
Ben: “Wonderful. If you don’t mind, I’d like to rewind to your childhood when you first learned how to play the trombone. Do you remember what that was like? What interested you so much?”
Mark: “Well I grew up in Cincinnati going to orchestras and symphonies, and I just fell in love with the emotion behind music. Originally, I wanted to play the trumpet, but my lips were too big for the mouthpiece, so my band instructor encouraged me to try the trombone.”
“And before no time I was fluent in trombone; it was like a second language to me.”
Ben: “Very interesting, did you ever go to school for music?”
Mark: “In fact I did. I studied at the College of Creative Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara and then studied Music Therapy at Colorado State.”
Ben: “That’s awesome, Go Rams! So you had some formal instruction of music then…”
Mark: “Yes, but I’d say I learned the most from bands I’ve been apart of in the past, and just playing on the road all over North America.”
Ben: “Great, well it sounds like you’ve done well for yourself. If we could change gears again and talk about your connection to the Sunset Lounge, how did you get started here?”
Mark: “Well, if you don’t know, the music for Sunset Lounge is chosen by the Bohemian Foundation, who I’ve worked with for years, and they’ve been kind enough to host me four days a week since they opened.”
Ben: “I actually didn’t know that, and it’s funny you say that because I just recently wrote a thought piece about the Bohemian Foundation. Could you tell me a little more about your experience working with them?”
Mark: “First off, the three owners, Pat Stryker, Joe Zimlich, and Cheryl Zimlich are great people to work with and have made it super easy for me to do what I love, so I’m thankful for them. I also think their work for the Fort Collins’ music community is unprecedented and worth every penny.”
Ben: “That’s great to hear Mark, and finally, where can people go to learn more about you?”
Mark: “They can go to my website, marksloniker.com, where there’s info about me and my shows, or they can come watch me play here at the Sunset Lounge.”
Ben: “Thank you so much for your time Mark, I look forward to attending more of your shows, and Go Rams!”
