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When Mark Monroe was 3 years old, his father gave him a little record player and some children's records. Shortly thereafter his father died following a tragic accident, but the seeds for a love of music were already planted.
Now a father of three grown children, Mark has nurtured that love into a career as a performer across Fairfield County. He's entertained on the piano at Nistico's Red Barn in Westport for 22 years. For six holiday seasons, he's filled the Stamford Town Center Mall with mirth and joy. Then there are the numerous events and functions where he has tickled the keys and belted a tune.
It's a solid music career for someone who never learned to read music. "I'm self-taught, and I started playing piano kind of late in life, when I was 35. Before that, I started playing the accordion when I was 5," said Monroe while sipping coffee at Penny's Diner in his native Norwalk.
Self-taught hasn't stopped him from mastering the scores for works such as "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables." He just had to learn them by ear. "It's fun, you can add and subtract and embellish a bit," said Monroe.
Stamford Town Center tapped Monroe to perform Mondays through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Nov. 22 to Dec. 24. He'll be filling the mall space with holiday musical selections, and while he has a set list of songs, he's willing to take requests.
Monroe also shares his talents at the Waveny Care Center, playing for the elderly in the dementia and Alzheimer's unit. "They give me a small stipend, but the satisfaction I get out of playing and seeing these people respond is greater than any compensation they could offer," said Monroe.
Sometimes Monroe stops into the adult day care at the Waveny Care Center with a selection of his 25,000 records and a 78 rpm player. He lets them listen, just like he used to listen when he was 3. "People love that," he said, smiling.
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