http://www.myspace.com/corinnemarcus
Invincible Girl
Band Members:
Corinne Marcus: Vocals
Mark Jeffery: Guitar
Dennis Harper: Bass
Larry Marcus: Drums
Tech Industry Affiliations: Walden Venture Capital and Digidesign
SVR: Tell us about your band. How did you get started? How long have you been playing?
Corinne Marcus: The band in this configuration has been together for almost a year. During the recording of Acrobat, I had the opportunity to work with several musicians on different songs. That turned out to be a wonderful experience and a real treat. However, I am glad now to be playing consistently with Mark, Dennis and Larry. They are not only great musicians willing to share their talent with the band, but are also great guys. It is very fun to be growing as a band and to write and collaborate on new material.
SVR: Who are your major influences?
CM: Annie Lennox, Sarah McLachlan, Chrissie Hynde, Natalie Merchant, Suzanne Vega, Fiona Apple, Joan Osborne, Rickie Lee Jones, David Bowie, Sting, Seal and many more.
Dennis Harper: Jaco Pastorius, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin.
Larry Marcus: Bill Bruford, Tony Williams, Stewart Copeland, Ringo, Stanton Moore.
SVR: What’s your ultimate direction for your band? Are you seeking fame and fortune in the music business?
CM: I hope to write great songs and perform in venues where music-loving people gather to enjoy live music.
Mark Jeffery: Fame or fortune would be fine. Either one. We’re not choosy.
DH: We are looking to play larger venues and festivals.
LM: Up and to the right.
SVR: What are your day jobs?
CM: Holistic practitioner — I do Reiki, laying of hands healing and provide astrology consultations. I’m also the mother of a lively 9 year old girl, which is a full time job.
MJ: Software Engineer at Digidesign. Original Developer of ProTools.
DH: Video Development Director, working on a major MMO title.
LM: Walden Venture Capital: including music-driven Pandora and Midomi.
SVR: How does your music influence your work or vice versa?
CM: Music inspires my work. I often get melodies while working, or experience a feeling that I want to transpose into a song. Music also impacts my connection with my daughter, as we enjoy singing, dancing and playing music together. It becomes a bonding experience for us.
MJ: ProTools affords new ways to compose music.
DH: Music and video games go well together. I’ve even programmed the midi-like code that ran the sequencers in all Atari video games in the 1980s.
LM: It keeps another part of my brain pumping, relaxes me, unifies me, inspires me. A reminder of music’s power to connect all.
SVR: Why is music education important?
CM: Because music seems to merge the creative and the analytical mind, and it all happens while having fun.
MJ: Without music education, the creative part of the brain, which can provide insight into solving daunting engineering challenges, is underdeveloped. Music education is vital to a technology-based society. Humanity is greatly enriched by music education, plus it helps you meet chicks/dudes.
DH: Music is a passion that can stay with a child his whole life. It helps to develop logic and coordination. It brings an appreciation of something beautiful that is beyond words.
LM: Music is good for math, concentration, gives kids something to be passionate about and a forum for social growth. Music is a team sport.
SVR: What was your own experience learning music as a kid? Who flipped that switch in your brain?
DH: At Awalt High School in Mountain View, we had a Jazz Ensemble teacher named Barry Erlich. He led our band onto many state and national championships. He was so inspiring that many of that era are professional musicians, or at least still active. We even have a social networking site setup for the old Awalt Jazz Band now, and still keep in touch 30 years later.
LM: Susan Muscarella and the UC Jazz Ensembles at Berkeley was a real turning point in musical growth and understanding that music is a community. She’s running the Jazzschool in Berkeley and it’s an incredible place to study and play jazz or put in your charitable giving program.
