Meet Mark Buchwald

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mark Buchwald. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mark, thank you so much for making time for us today. We’re excited to discuss a handful of topics with you, but perhaps the most important one is around decision making. The ability to make decisions is a key requirement for anyone who wants to make a difference and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your decision-making skills.
I believe that decision-making skills are developed by experience and the thirst for knowledge. I have always been one who enjoys giving instructions and having to make important, quick decisions on the fly as well as delegating. I’ve always been one who wants to go through an experience for the first time. By doing this, you gain experience and are ready to transfer knowledge to others as a servant leader. Experimentation is also a key component to decision making. All of this should lead to making the right decision at the time and the ability to take responsibility if the decision does not have the expected outcome.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I come from a family of musicians and music professionals. I always have multiple projects going on at once including drumming for a new country star out of West Virginia named Carson Hay, releasing electronic albums under my name Policy, studio session work or various other projects in the studio as a producer/engineer. I toured all over the US and Canada as a kid and basically travelled with the road crew. Right out of high school I had the opportunity to move to Los Angeles, CA where I earned some wings and got to study with some great drummers out there. Currently I have also taken on the role as a mentor, manager, and consultant within the projects I’m involved with. Even though I’m the drummer in the back, I’ve been told I’m the heart a soul of the project. I think what sets me apart is my work ethic and my ability to earn the role as a servant leader. My preparation and attention to the details is key to our success along with capitalizing on opportunities. Some may think opportunities come easy being from a family in the music business, but it still takes a proactive approach, a skillset to selling a brand, networking, creativity, taking risks, finding solutions, going above and beyond for a client, delegation and being professional. Recently I’ve been working with my uncle who is the band director for a local high school. We put together these amazing shows with me on the drum kit and with his student orchestra and we also include special guests including world renown guitar virtuoso Neil Zaza. These shows include songs from artists like Pink Floyd, The Transiberian Orchestra and Neil’s own original tracks.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Focus in on the craft and practice, practice, practice. Don’t be afraid to make attempts and to make mistakes. I’ve been playing drums since I was a little kid and even now, I look forward to going down into the practice room and learning new things or trying new things in the studio as a producer/engineer. Have the Mamba mentality like Kobe Bryant! Plan your day and stay organized. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Look for opportunities and remember you have nothing to lose in the entertainment business. Music has provided me with major opportunities outside of the business itself. Dip your hands in as much as you can and do the work! Also, which is very important, listen to others who you may be working with on a project and expand your circle of influence. Lastly, get ready for rejection, learn from it, make a positive out of it and move on and always BE YOURSELF!

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I come from a family of musicians, so my whole family has been instrumental in my success. If I had to single out one person it would be my late Uncle, Michael Patrick Zaremba. Unfortunately, Uncle Mike passed last year, but he was extremely instrumental regarding my career. He was a friend, he taught me the art of music production and the recording process, was a co-producer/engineer on my first electronic album, “Echo Chambers”, consultant on my second full-length release titled “The Abby Rose”, he was one hell of a bass player, and he loved his dogs. Other than I, his favorite drummer was Keith Moon from The Who, and he started to take a great interest in the world of drums and the art of drumming. It was great to just sit and talk in the studio for hours about life and all things music! Currently, it’s my other uncle, Uncle Pete. like I mentioned earlier, we get to work together on shows with his student orchestra’s as well as talk music. He has a master’s in music, so he is the got0 when I need help as well as I can help him with back-end music business stuff.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Dave Burzanko Michael Zaremba Tommy Kneeland Mark Buchwald

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Leadership Development
Where does your self-discipline come from?

One of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. We asked some

Productivity
Working hard in 2025: Keeping Work Ethic Alive

While the media might often make it seem like hard work is dead and that

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made