We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Buller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, how do you think about risk?
Artists of all stripes know – perhaps instinctually? – that some sort of openness is required of us. You have to be willing to fail, and sometimes fail publicly, in order to *make* something worth saying. One of the lessons I learned early on was that it usually doesn’t hurt to simply ask – for an opportunity, for an opening, to create something new. The worst that will happen is a reply in the negative, but even if only one of ten such inquiries results in something new, then the whole thing was worth it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began my career as a composer in college, writing music for friends’ recitals. The thrill of doing that behind-the-scenes work, having the time and space to mold a piece of music, then have someone else imbue their creative energies into that piece and truly make it their own, becomes addictive after a while. I’ve been very fortunate to work with many such performers, all of whom bring their own unique voices to the music that I write.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Houston’s diversity and taste for new and unique experiences make it a terrific foodie destination — so I’d love to show them some of the best food around here. Start with breakfast tacos from Tacodeli, or an egg & cheese wrap from Phoenicia; lunch at Treebeard’s or any of the thousand great food trucks; dinner at a good Indian or Thai place. In between, I’d try to spend some good time at one of our terrific museums, and finish the day with a performance somewhere.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
No composer exists in a bubble. We write some dots and lines on a page, then send those pages out into the world — but they don’t actually become music until a well-trained performer takes the time and invests the energy and emotional space to make those dots and lines their own and turn them into something worthwhile. So I owe a lot to performers all around the world who have seen something in my music worth investing themselves into. In that regard, “my” music really becomes theirs!

Website: www.markbuller.com
Instagram: mbuller86
Twitter: @mark_buller
Facebook: /markbullercomposer
Youtube: mbullercomposer

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutHTX is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.