Meet Marc Swersky | Grammy Winning Songwriter | Producer Artist Development | Consulting Founder @monocentricmusic Husband & Dad to Twins

Honestly I believe life is a risk. We are born with free will and we control our thought process and decisions. From a young age I always had a great imagination and always wondered what’s out there for me and to a greater extent, who’s out there and I want to know them. When I was young, I excelled at sports especially baseball and if I stayed focused I could have gone on to great things in the sport but I realized that was not my path. I always had a good and solid business mind and worked in my families bakeries growing up. My parents and especially my grandfather wanted me to continue in the business and help run it but that was not in my sight. I discovered the power of music and that’s what I wanted to do. I started out as a guitarist but one of my first mentors told my folks, I was a natural bass player so I switched and never looked back. When I graduated high school I was supposed to go to a prestigious college for music but 2 people who had gone onto major success in the business, went to talk with my mother and told them, don’t let him go, it will ruin him. I was and still am very visceral in my approach and they thought that the theory etc. would slow my path down. In retrospect I wish I went for at least a year but I have no regrets. I took a risk and started auditioning for bands and got gigs with bands far beyond my age and even talent but my drive, determination and ability to adapt and fit in won me jobs. I then took a risk one day and snuck in a bar (The legendary fast lane in Asbury Park, NJ) when I was underage, the manager walked up to me about an hour later and said to me, you’re not old enough are you? I fessed up, said no and instead of throwing me out, he started talking w/ me. To this day he is still one of my closest friends and he proceeded to offer me a job. Through working there I met and witnessed life changing people and musical moments. I saw U2’s second US show, I witnessed Bruce Springsteen jump on stage so often w/ other bands. I saw James Brown, Squeeze, Rockpile, Hall & Oates, Pat Benatar, Humble Pie, Tne Tourists(who became The Eurythmics) and so many others. I also played in one of the house bands that shared an every Wed. bill w/ Jon Bonjovi’s band at the time and even played w/ him for a NY Minute. One day a local legendary band Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes road manager approached me about playing bass w/ an artist he was managing Charlie Midnight in NYC. I took the audition, walked in the room, played w/ the best musicians I ever played with in my life and proceeded to try and keep up. After the audition, I thanked them all and figured that was that. I got home and Charlie had just called and proceeded to ask me to join the band, I was in shock. He said they had more experienced people come in but something about me won them over and that launched my career. Charlie became the greatest mentor and big brother I ever had and to this day is my best friend. The band fell apart after a few months and I continued to work w/ Charlie but proceeded to audition for other acts around NYC, I knew that’s where I belonged. I bounced around played w/ a lot of singers, songwriters bands but nothing stuck. One day Charlie said “Marc, do you write songs?’ and I said no. He said you should and I said ok. One day I get a call to bring some musicians to a rehearsal for a singer songwriter Francesca Beghe in NYC and we really hit it off. After the rehearsal she asked me if I write songs and with Charlie like an angel on my shoulder I said YES and here goes my next risk!! We proceeded to get together and in one day co-wrote 3 songs. Our next session I was waiting for her and sat down at her piano(which I barely could play) and was playing this melody and she comes out and says, “what’s that? and I said I have no idea”!!! that little idea “Trust in Me” went on to launch our careers after it was completed. Charlie was hired to produce Joe Cocker’s next record at the time and he loved it, took it to play for Joe and his team and they proceeded to record it. That record Unchain My Heart went onto sell a few million records worldwide but that was not the end. Francesca and I went onto signing pretty significant publishing deals at the time and we went on to co-writing her debut record. That record did well but unfortunately our time together ended. That led to the next round of risks. I went on bouncing around until one day Charlie told me to come by his house as we were going to work w/ a new artist. We ended up all hitting it off and proceeded to work together in NYC for a year. Charlie informed me he was moving to LA so what I thought would be the end of everything led me to the next risk-moving out to LA.. That was a very crazy time in life as I bounced back and forth between both coasts with nothing substantial happening and franky I was out of money. I did everything I could do to survive but my time out there was coming to an end. My father was very ill and we knew his time was coming up so I told everyone, I’m moving back east. Well, my publisher rang me the day before I was leaving and asked me to come to the office. I went on my way the airport and I sat in the office and they said we have something to tell you. I figured they were telling me they were dropping me from my deal but quite the contrary. They asked me if I heard about this new Whitney Houston movie “The Bodyguard” and I said sure and they said well “Trust In Me” is going to be featured in the movie and the soundtrack. My mouth fell to the floor and they explained the record was shipping a huge amount and that the company was going to advance me a large sum of money.. Life changing the next couple of years were and I’m so grateful that before my father passed away, he got to experience all if this,. The record has gone onto selling well over 40 million records worldwide and won me my first Grammy. Frankly that completely launched my career to another level and although there had been many ups and downs I persevered and am grateful. My next risk was about 10 years later when Charlie asked if I could come back out to LA and work with him on another project, TV star Hilary Duff’s music. I said sure, rented out my house and that went on to another run and I ended up working on her music and countless others for about 5 years. We had huge success and even ended up with another Grammy for our work on Marlo Thomas’ “Thanks and All Your Givings ” record for a charitable project for St. Jude’s Children Hospital and what a blessing that was and is!

I hope this shows you that life is truly the great unknown and without risks, you’ll never know where life will and c an take you.

This is always such a tough question as I truthfully do not like talking about myself much. Simply put, I am here today because of all that walked before me. I truly believe I did not choose this path in my life but it chose me. My father taught me to wake up everyday and be glad to be alive and go to bed every night grateful for the day and that I hurt nobody. I work so hard at what I do and was I the most naturally gifted and greatest musician, songwriter, record producer- NO! I worked my BUTT off, kept my eyes, ears and heart open, sponged up EVERYTHING and EVERYONE along the way and grew. Life is a journey and you should strive to always get better at something daily and that’s always been my work ethic. Luck is a strange thing and I’ve been most lucky but my hard work and sacrifices got my here.

Ah, this is a great question.

First off it goes without saying that my family has always been my greatest supporters and inspiration through my life. My parents always encouraged my brothers and I to be ourselves and follow our paths. Once I told my parents I was following my dreams of being a musician and artist they were always behind me. My parents both definitely had a “Peter Pan” quality about them and whatever band I played in they were in the front row, hanging w/ everyone. When I went into songwriting, they were so happy and supportive as that was very up and down. I am so grateful that they and especially my father who passed away at 62 was able to be here and rejoice in my biggest success, having my song “Trust In Me” end up in the movie and on the soundtrack of the The Bodyguard starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.

In my music career, it’s everyone I ever worked,collaborated with and experienced this business, both positive and negative. I am also thankful to all my teachers who pushed and guided me but one teacher Gene Boccia who saw me better that I saw myself and was a huge supporter and through him made the most influential introduction in my career and life. That introduction was to a legendary singer/songwriter Charlie Midnight(James Brown, Joe Cocker, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel)the story is told in the segment above. Well to this day, almost 41 years later , Charlie remains my best friend, big brother I never had, writing partner and the single biggest reason I am a record producer. He also taught me about life, pushing negativity away, how to read people and how your word is the most important thing you have. He introduced me to many amazing artists, songwriters and musicians along the way including the legendary Dan Hartman who would also be one of my greatest mentors as well as Deirdre O’Hara, who saw something in me as a songwriter that I never knew I had. She signed me to my first publishing deal and to this day remains one of my dearest friends and mentors.