Every boy has dreams of what he wants to be when he grows up and Mark was no different.  His parents were the kind that wanted him to experience childhood to the fullest which meant, little league baseball, pee wee football, piano lessons and swimming lessons.  Mark did well at all of them but knew that he would be the star wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers.  They were his favorite team and he was a very good wide receiver all through Pee Wee, football and his freshman year of high school.<br/><br/>It was the second to last game of the season and he was playing on the JV football team.  One of only two freshman to be able to play at the higher level.  He'd already scored one touchdown and went up to catch his second.  The pass was high but he held on by his fingertips.  As he landed, he was at an odd angle as the defensive player hit him just below the knee.  The ligaments tore as his tibia snapped and that ended any chance he had of playing sports beyond high school.  It also meant that he wouldn't be out and about much for the next few months as his bones healed, his surgeries took place and then he had to learn to walk again with the help of his physical therapist.<br/><br/>Beyond school he had little to challenge him or keep his interest and TV just bored him to tears.  He was hobbling past his sister's room when he saw a guitar leaning against her desk.  She'd played for a year or two before moving on to other interests.  He asked if he could borrow it and she said he could have it.  He'd found a new interest and a new challenge.  Watching videos, listening to the radio and getting out some of his old music from piano, he started to get into making music.<br/><br/>It was over a year before he could walk without a noticeable limp.  By then he'd found someone that could teach him guitar and the lessons and his determination to improve all helped him pass the time.  He was still up early doing sit ups, using the weight bench and after school, physiotherapy on his leg.  After his homework was done he played his guitar.  His fingers bled, before the calluses formed.  The pain was never as bad as his leg but his fingers became tough enough to play all day.<br/><br/>His interest grew and he received a Fender Stratocaster as his big Christmas present his sophomore year.  A few pick up bands let him learn how to move with the guitar and actually found out that he could sing in tune.  Mark didn't want to be the headliner and singing star but he enjoyed singing as his fingers worked the strings and the music flowed from the amps.<br/><br/>After high school and two years of college at Seton Hall, Mark had his AA degree and enough of school.  He went to class and did his homework but he lived to play music.  He'd met a guy named Matt that could play the drums.  The others that came and went were not of the same caliber, nor did they have the commitment or drive to make it in the music world.  After getting his AA, Mark informed his parents that he was taking a break from school to follow his dreams and try to make a living playing music.  Matt did the same and started to read the music rag classifieds and place a few of his own to find some others interested in starting a band.<br/><br/>Matt got a job as a cook doing breakfast during the week at a truck stop.  Mark found a gig playing acoustic guitar and singing in a pub during the week.  They shared a basement apartment and practiced in the afternoons when the people living above them were at work.  Matt made calls and calls started coming in from others with the same dreams.