Meet Mark Megibow | Beatboxer/Percussionist for Face Vocal Band

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

Hi Mark, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
Not a quote so much as a thought:

When people live their lives in alignment with their passions, they become a light – a spark. That passion ignites the inspiration of everyone they encounter. And those people are inspired – not to duplicate what the person does, but inspired to live life according to their passion as well.

People who are in alignment with their passions are more engaged, are more positive, are more attractive (not in that sexy way, but in that charismatic “I’ll have what they’re having” way). We in Face have learned that one reason our audience is so devoted to us, is because they see us devoted to our passion of performing, and they are reminded that whatever the dream is, it is never too late to start chasing it. Everything we’ve achieved is available to them too, in their lives.

I know I personally have been inspired by the stories of people I’ve known who have changed their lives to pursue what truly inspires them. And I find myself choosing more and more to associate only with people who are similarly plugged in to their own passions. We only have so much time in the day – I want to spend it around as many people as possible who are the lights in this world.

Risk taking: how do you think about risk, what role has taking risks played in your life/career?
I feel like everything about the music business is taking risks (probably all of the arts). Everything is an investment. We say “Every gig is an audition.”

Consider:
– The time it takes to hone one’s craft, long before you have anything to show for it.
– Recording an album is almost all upfront costs – mostly the studio time, but also having the albums reproduced. And then you hope they sell!
– Many gigs are upfront costs – renting the venue, reserving tech and house staff. And then you hope you sell tickets!
– Most tours for most bands are not profitable. They are investments in the future, hoping to garner new fans in a wider geographic area who will then buy merch over time, and possibly the tour will reveal a market that is worth returning to in order to nurture a new fan base there.
– We have to consider what gigs are worth the “exposure” if they don’t pay well (or at all). (A very wise musician once counseled: “Don’t take gigs just for exposure. You can die from exposure.”) We have actually PAID money for stage time at a conference where we performed for a few thousand entertainment bookers. Even one booking would be enough to pay for the whole trip. (We got two.)

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Face Vocal Band calls ourselves an “all-vocal rock band.” By now, most people are probably familiar with the term “a cappella,” using just the voices to create the music. But even that description means too many things to too many people. It could mean vocal jazz, doo-wop, barbershop music, or the college groups that are omnipresent on just about every major university campus in the country. Now, people know groups like Pentatonix, Straight No Chaser, and Home Free.

Well before those household names however, over twenty years ago, Face decided to create a “rock band sound” through a cappella. The music we perform is all up-beat happy rock. The performance is high-energy, with soaring rock voices, and singing that we disguise to sound…not vocal. People swear they’re hearing a full-on rock band. We have a true bass (Forest Kelly) who sings so low, and with the help of the giant subwoofer speakers, literally shakes the walls, and you feel the bass in your gut. But like a bass guitar, not like a basso profundo, if you get my meaning. And the drums are all done by beatboxing (that’s me, Mark Megibow!), which is able to create pounding rhythms that are guaranteed to form spontaneous mosh pits in front of the stage.

When most people think of an “a cappella concert,” they don’t think of stage diving and crowd surfing. But this happens at Face shows.

Part of the branding has always been music that is fun, happy, positive, or at worst, not negative (nothing violent, angsty, emo, etc.). And part of the branding has always been 5 normal guys who are so passionate about performing together and entertaining the audience, that we’ve continued to carve time out of our lives to turn that dream into reality. For those reasons, our audience continues to call our shows “inspiring,” “uplifting,” and even “healing.” We have the most loyal audience that any band has a right to imagine.

Since 2001, Face has been a study in slow and steady growth, with almost every year being bigger than the last. By 2006 we were enjoying 60 shows a year, in 2014 we broke 100 shows in a year, and that continued to grow until 2019 when we maxed out at over 130 shows. And then…well the past few years we haven’t been QUITE as busy.

But the “secrets to success” have been as simple as “don’t quit.” We have continued to make sure we are aligned in our purpose and goals – everyone has the same level of devotion to the band and its growth. There is a very healthy level of mutual respect for one another, and the different strengths that each member contributes both on and off stage. We share the spotlight, readily giving each other their moments to shine. And we’ve managed to strike that work/life/family balance where the band supports the rest of our lives, so the people in our lives in turn support the band.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well this is Colorado…the favorite spots in the city aren’t always in the city!!! But I’ll ask them if they’ve been to Casa Bonita yet. 😉

As a musician, I happen to know that there are MANY talented artists performing on any given night all over the state. One of my personal favorite venues is Soiled Dove Underground – a mid-sized venue that feels way more intimate than that. Great sound, lights, and the energy of the room makes for a great concert experience regardless of who’s on stage (and they always have great talent on stage).

There are so many things to do in the mountains, regardless of season, and I actually prefer the summer mountains, with hiking, white water, mountain biking. My family always takes a kayaking trip in Salida every summer, and we love that little area of the state.

And I’m not much of a beer guy, but I’m told there are a FEW breweries in the area that are worth a visit. LOL

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Face Vocal Band would be nothing without our audience! We have family, friends, and fans who we owe everything to over the years. When we started performing over 20 years ago, the email list was about 200 people. It wasn’t “opt in.” If we knew you, we emailed you and invited you to our shows. Well our friends came out, and each time, they brought more friends. The word-of-mouth growth of our fan base cannot be overstated. It’s why we feel so close to our audience – it seems everyone is a “friend of a friend.” But then our audience continues to raise the bar when asked: They funded our Kickstarter Campaign to go on our first European Tour. And when the pandemic hit, our fans once again came out en masse, “attending” our live stream concerts, donating through PayPal and Venmo, as well as tripling our Patreon membership and that financial support.

Website: facevocalband.com

Facebook: facebook.com/mark.facevocalband

Youtube: youtube.com/facevocalband

Image Credits
Scott Malonson