Stringing together a dream
Beaverlodge native Mark Stonehocker didn't fret about trading his circuits for c-strings
Story and photos by Diana Rinne
He may not be able to fly, but Mark Stonehocker literally floats when he
talks about his music and his future.
"It's been a really good year. So many things are working out right now.
Doors are opening ..." smiles the Beaverlodge-born alternative-rock artist.
Since the release of his independent album "None of Us Can Fly" in August
of last year, Stonehocker has immersed himself in the business of making music.
After two years of studying computers at Grande Prairie Regional College,
he made the switch to the Interactive Digital Design Program majoring in music
last year and hasn't looked back since. "I have improved so much since last
year," he said.
Though he has been writing lyrics since he was a kid, Stonehocker only
took up the guitar and songwriting during his first year of college. He
started a Christian band, One Way, during that year and continued to perform
as a solo artist after the band broke up.
He hit the local music scene with the debut of his song "Circle of Rain"
on Sun FM in January of '97. From there it was on to produce "None of Us
Can Fly" last August. "It started as something I did so I could give my
songs to my friends," he said. Local radio airplay of the album has made
Stonehocker a relatively well-known name in the alternative-rock scene in
Grande Prairie.
Currently working on his second album, Stonehocker says the knowledge he
has gained over the past year has made a big difference in his music. "I
think my style has changed a bit. Before, the music didn't really have a
definition. I didn't really know much about the musical world. The new
stuff is a lot more solidified. I've found a lot of what I like and what
I want to do. It is a little heavier, a little more up beat. It has that
new tech drum sound ... it is very rhythm oriented," he explained.
Though the music may have evolved, the lyrics of his songwriting remain
very personal. "Whenever something is bothering me I write about it. Most
of the stuff I write is about personal things, feelings ... I do write a lot
of stuff that never goes down to song," he said, adding, "I hope to improve
that next year and focus a lot on lyrics."
"He's a pretty deep and spiritual guy," says Troy Kryzalka, Stonehocker's
manager. "When he performs the reflection of his love for what he is doing
is right there in your face."
Kryzalka and Stonehocker hooked up this past year when they met through
the IDD program at GPRC. One of the first grads of the IDD program, Kryzalka
is moving on to Edmonton to set up his own business, the little red recording
studio in a few weeks.
"We are going to kind of set up camp there. Hopefully, we will be able to
promote him and create a really good portfolio and take an angle and approach
to getting him heard," he explained. "When I first heard him sing I was blown
away by the vocals. I'm really excited to be working with him and to be a
part of things."
Stonehocker gives a lot of the credit for his vocal talent to mom Joan, a
singer and pianist in Beaverlodge. "I first started singing in church with
her and my sisters (Jan, Dayna, and Jill). Mother's the one that got me to
sing and it's really helped," he said. He adds dad Dennis, a teacher in
Wembley, has also been a great supporter of his music.
The ball to get Stonehocker's music on the airwaves outside of Grande
Prairie got rolling earlier this summer when he had the opportunity to do a
half-hour live set and a half-hour interview on radio in Calgary.
The duo have a plan of action that will begin with a new album. "I don't
know when it is coming out but I will get it out somehow," says Stonehocker.
"It would be nice to get the ultimate record-label deal, but if that doesn't
happen I'll be going for a grant or something to get it out on CD. I would
like to have an album sold across Canada."
Stonehocker has been doing some live gigs in and around Grande Prairie
this summer, the most recent being the Duck Races at Muskoseepi Park. In
keeping with his plan of action he hopes to be doing a lot more performing
in Grande Prairie and larger centres such as Edmonton and Calgary over the
next year. "Having Troy in Edmonton is going to improve things so much
because I can't get the gigs sitting here," he said.
Stonehocker plans to move to Edmonton or Calgary once he graduates next
year. "I want to take a year just to do music," he said. If his career on
stage doesn't work out, Stonehocker has a back-up plan that will see him
remain in the music industry as a producer.
As the co-manager of Big Ear Productions, a digital-recording house based
out of the college, over this past summer, Stonehocker has been doing a lot
of producing. Having produced a demo tape for the Anglican Church Choir and
mastered a CD for the GPRC Jazz & Wind Ensemble, he also co-produced an album
for the local alternative rock band Soma Libra, and one for Alive in Faith, a
local Catholic band.
In addition to all his songwriting, performing and producing, Stonehocker
has also had the time to create his own web page on the internet. "It's got
my bio, some pictures, some of my artwork and links to other sites. I'm
working on getting some sound on it as well," he said. You can find
Stonehocker's web site at: www.angelfire.com/ms/stonehocker.
Having found his path, Stonehocker's getting on with the business of
discovering where it will lead with enthusiasm. "Whatever I end up doing I
know it will be in music, so I'm not really worried about it," he smiles.
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