Marcus

"I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy;

but most importantly music,

for the patterns in music and all the arts are the keys to learning"

-Plato

Marcus is a special kind of creative musician. He believes that limitless imagination and love of learning are the keys to progress. He believes that living an active engaged life of varied experiences amongst different kinds of people is the secret to joy. He finds the beauty and delight in music, mathematics, physics, literature, and art all the same. His dream is to make wonderment in all creative expressions a desirable social virtue, a striving...cool. 

Born in New Jersey, Marcus grew up in a house full of music, his father having a massive and varied record collection. Early on he was exposed to artists and composers like John Coltrane, Weather Report, Phillip Glass, Stockhausen, Frank Zappa, Duke Ellington, and Mozart. He took up saxophone at age nine and, with the help of World Renown Saxophonist Bruce Williams (Roy Hargrove, World Saxophone Quartet),  developed a passion that put him on stage professionally at 13. With gifts extending beyond the music, he graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Mathematics. After a short stint at a multibillion dollar hedge fund he moved to New York City to Pursue Music. He soon developed a reputation as a versatile and virtuosic player, while studying music production and engineering under Grammy-winning Engineer “Bassy” Bob Brockman (Notorious B.I.G, Herbie Hancock, D'Angelo).

Marcus has taken what he has learned, and built a remarkable career out of it.  He is in demand as an saxophonist, songwriter, producer, and engineer in the New York music scene. As a saxophonist, he has performed at the Obama White House, Madison Square Garden with DNCE, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert alongside Jon Batiste, recorded with Benny Blanco and Ryan Tedder, Performed Jazz at major venues like The Blue Note, Dizzy's, and even Carnegie Hall, is a featured performer at the Daybreaker series of Morning Raves, and has toured the world with groups ranging from New Orleans Hot Jazz to Indie Rock. As a songwriter, producer and engineer, he works closely with Av8ted, a creative entrepreneur collective based out of Brooklyn that represents the "New Black Aesthetic."  In June of 2016, Marcus appeared in his first play, Playing Hot, performing in speaking roles as Lewis, a member of Buddy Bolden's band, and the Legendary Sidney Bechet. In addition, he speaks on music production and education for the New Jersey Association of Music Educators, was noted as an Artist of Distinction by the state of New Jersey, and has published articles on music and mathematics. 

In 2015, Marcus released his first Album, Love in Absentia (also available on iTunes and Spotify) which he wrote, produced, performed and engineered. He continues to release music on Soundcloud.

Marcus maintains his interest in mathematics and physics, giving talks, tutoring, and studying independently under scholars at Columbia and Princeton. In addition he works at Math-M-Addicts, a program for NYC children who are extraordinarily gifted in mathematics. His artistic goal is to move the needle on culture so that clarity of thought, creativity, and imagination are connected to individual and collective greatness.

Marcus endorses Theo Wanne Mouthpieces and Silverstein Ligatures

Articles:

Scientific American

Black Enterprise

How I Use Music to Inspire Math Students

New York Post