Mark's profile
Sound artist, composer, music producer, and audio engineer, Mark Kent Navarro employs his diverse musical skills to craft immersive worlds.
Capitalizing on his knowledge and experience in electronic, jazz, classical, experimental, ambient, bossa-nova, hip-hop, R&B, math-rock, post-rock, and alternative music, Mark dedicates time and effort to delve into the nuances and intentions of his work.
Mark, a Filipino born and raised in Baltimore City, Maryland, traces the beginning of his musical journey back to his childhood, sitting beside his lola (grandma) at the piano. Inspired by these early years, he later transitioned to his primary instrument: the guitar.
His formative years in music included the formation of a post-rock/math-rock band called 'Yugennui' with high school friends. Over their 5-year tenure, they toured the independent underground D.I.Y. circuit, even reaching as far as Montreal, Canada.
Mark's educational path involved community college, where he delved into music theory and musicianship, specializing in guitar. He dedicated two years to jazz and another two to classical music.
In collaboration with his sibling, visual artist and animator Kat Navarro, Mark contributes music scores and sound design to various art projects. This collaborative process holds significance as it explores their shared past as first-generation Filipinos raised in Baltimore City. Their most recent collaboration being Kat's art installation, 'When You Arrive,' featuring Mark's original composition for, 'Kalapati.' The installation was shown inside Towson University’s gallery.
Mark's professional experience extends to serving as an audio engineer and producer in Baltimore City studios, where he has collaborated with notable artists in the DMV area, including Abdu Ali, Bobbi Rush, and Baby Kahlo. He also has collaborated with DYYO under their duo moniker, 'G.O.L.D.'
In recent endeavors, Mark expands his sonic palette through music composition and sound art. A notable achievement includes providing the original score and sound design for Truepenny Projects’ 'Lyra & The Ferocious Beast,” an original play by Tatiana Nya Ford that was debuted at The Voxel.
In addition to his artistic pursuits, Mark is currently employed at the Baltimore School for the Arts as an Arts Technologist, an essential part of a passionate, focused, and driven effort to support student collaboration between art disciplines, and provide an interactive experience that mimics real-world environments. In this role, he also engages with school faculty, understanding course/project objectives, and assist their students willing to take their work to the next level.
Mark's dedication to innovation and growth is a consistent theme throughout his artistic journey and life. As a Filipino born in Baltimore City, his narrative unfolds as that of an independent D.I.Y. artist who, through years of experience, mentorship, friendship, trial and error, survival and perseverance, continues to blur genre boundaries and explore diverse mediums on his creative horizon. His story is a testament to the resilience and creative spirit that defines his unique path.
Mark draws inspiration from influential figures such as John Cage, Ryuchi Sakamoto, Allison Schulnik, Omar Rodríguez-López, Luis Bonfa, Wilfredo Alicdan, Björk, Aphex Twin, Joan Miró, Don Hertzfeldt, and Brian Eno to name a few.
