BIO
A NYC-based session drummer and educator, Mark first gained notoriety as one of the winners of Modern Drummer Magazine’s very first drum solo contest–judged by Neil Peart (incidentally, Mark has also written several articles for the magazine). In the pages of MD, Neil wrote that Mark’s playing was “technically and rhythmically quite sophisticated.” Several other A-list drummers–Kenny Aronoff, Simon Phillips and John Riley–have had kind words to say about Mark’s drumming and you can read their words here.
An official endorser of Vic Firth Sticks, Mark has made music with Alison Krauss, Oz Noy, Will Lee, GE Smith (SNL, Roger Waters), Marshall Crenshaw, Curtis Stigers, Andy York (John Mellencamp), Tony Shanahan (Patti Smith), Emily Remler, Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake, Night Ranger), Big Brother & The Holding Company, The Drifters, The Marvelettes and many others, and he’s recorded with bands on A&M and Arista.
It’s also notable that Mark was in the running to replace drummer Matt Cameron in Soundgarden when Matt decided to tour with Pearl Jam instead of Soundgarden in 2014. Ultimately, studio giant Matt Chamberlain, also a friend of the band’s, got the gig, but to be considered at all was an honor. You can watch Mark’s audition video for Soundgarden on the “Watch” page on this website.
photo: Andrea Fischman Photography
A very versatile drummer, Mark has played hard rock, pop, jazz (he led his own jazz trio, The MF3, from 2010 to 2012), fusion, and everything in between.
On one of his first recording sessions, he shared drumming duties with Kenny Aronoff, who would later recommend Mark for several gigs.
Mark has studied extensively with famed jazz drummer, educator and author John Riley, who himself was a student of master drummer Joe Morello. Earlier, Mark studied with Hank Jaramillo (the long time drummer on Broadway’s “A Chorus Line”) and Rick Considine at Drummer’s Collective. Mark’s first drum teacher was Charlie Davidman, who played in NYC’s famed Street Punk in the ’70s. Mark has also studied with Shawn Pelton (SNL), Glen Sobel (Alice Cooper), and monster drummer and educator Dave DiCenso (Duran Duran, Josh Groban, Cro-Mags).
On the local NY scene, Mark played and recorded frequently with MANCIE, who VICE magazine called “One of Brooklyn’s best Unknown Bands,” as well as a variety of other NY based bands and artists including Evan Stanley’s rock band The Dives (yes, Evan is the son of Paul Stanley), blues guitarist Dave Fields, hard rockers Electric Black Horse and The Situationist International (TSI), prog guitar wizard Rob Sbar, Bruce Henderson’s High Plains Drifters (featuring GE Smith and Andy York), Hearts and Minds (A&M Records) and many others.
At home in the recording studio, Mark has played drums on a number of albums and EPs and you can check out the details in the “Discography” section. Some of the producers Mark has worked for are David Prater (Dream Theater, Night Ranger), Stewart Lerman (Elvis Costello, Patti Smith), and Felix McTeigue (Florida Georgia Line, Amy Helm), among others.
As an educator, Mark is known for opening a successful drum teaching studio in New York City called BANG! The Drum School. Opened in 2009, the school caters to beginners, a group of drumming students that Mark believes is under-served. Mark also has written hundreds of articles for “The Drumming Blog,” which is housed on the “bang” website.
In 2016, Mark formed his own band, Mark Feldman’s LEVEL5. An instrumental outfit with a heavy foundation in groove and funk, LEVEL5’s creation was inspired by Jeff Beck’s “Wired” and “Blow by Blow.” Their debut, “The Sybil EP,” (2019) was Mark’s first effort as a producer. The EP features Mark playing drums with a a dream-team of musicians: Oz Noy on guitar, Will Lee on bass, and Adam Klipple on keys. You can check out the EP on Spotify and watch the first video on the “Watch” page of this site.
Recently, Mark set up his remote session drumming studio and has been busy recording tracks for artists around the world.