The Heather Petero Show
The Heather Petero Show is about creativity, faith, and living on purpose—minus the pressure and the perfectionism.Hosted by lifelong creative Heather Petero, this podcast features honest conversations, solo reflections, and stories from people learning to show up fully in their lives. Expect encouragement, laughter, a little truth-telling, and reminders that you don’t have to have it all figured out to take the next step.✨ Stay curious. Stay creative. Live on purpose.
The Heather Petero Show
Episode 8-Chief of Country Soul with Mark Ware
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Heather sits down with her friend of nearly 40 years, Mark Ware — signed country artist and singer-songwriter, retired Fire Chief, and veteran firefighter/EMT whose music is rooted in real life. From High School memories to the hard chapters, Mark shares the kind of story you don’t forget.
Together, they talk about grief, faith, recovery, and what it looks like to keep going after the unthinkable — including the loss of a child — and how music can become a lifeline for people who are hurting.
You’ll leave reminded that healing is possible and you’re not alone.
Connect with Mark:
officialmarkware.com | @mwaremusic
This is the Heather Patero Show where Conversation Meets Calling. Well, welcome back to the Heather Patero Show where Conversation Meets Calling. And today, where we are absolutely taking a trip down memory lane, my guest is a man I've known for nearly 40 years. It's hard to believe that. We survived the hot and humid Georgia summer band camps, polyester band uniforms, and 80s hair, and still became functioning adults. He's a singer-songwriter, a retired fire chief, a veteran firefighter, EMT, a granddad, a businessman, and one of my dear friends. Please welcome the man who can handle the heat and the high notes, Mark Ware. Welcome to the show, Mark.
SPEAKER_01Hey, thank you, Heather. It's so good to see you again. I'm excited to talk to you.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm glad to have you on the show. We've got a lot of history, a lot of stories, and a whole lot to talk about. So let's get into it. So before we get deep, we need to honor the sacred ground, Stockbridge High School band-ays. For the younger listeners, this was a magical era of hauling gear like unpaid roadies. Somebody always leaving their music on the bus and developing superhuman strength from hauling tubas through Georgia Humidity. Don't you think, Mark?
SPEAKER_01Awesome. But what what a uh what a what a timeline in my life that I I still cherish to this day. Seems like just yesterday, I don't seem like I'm gonna be turning 55 uh this year. It seems like I'm getting ready to head back to West Georgia Bandcamp this summer. Uh it seemed like it was just yesterday.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's very true. So what's your all-time favorite memory from our stockbridge days?
SPEAKER_01I I guess just the friendships, um, the friendship that I was able to cultivate during that time. I'm still friends with them today, the Rodney Brooks, the U, the Chad Brooks, uh, the Will Turpins, uh, Dave Henry, uh, even all the way to the the band teachers. Uh it's just those those friendships I was uh I was able to cultivate, you know, during that time. Little did I know that, you know, 40 some odd years later, that we would all be still great friends and working together and collaborating, playing golf, fishing, and and just still acting like we're you know 15 and 16 years old uh sometimes. We act like it, uh just don't feel like it.
SPEAKER_03That's right. Our bodies are telling on us, right?
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_03So what's one memory that still makes you laugh instantly from those days?
SPEAKER_01I just talked about this the other day. The the memory that still makes me laugh, and we often talk about it is uh the time I snuck my Copenhagen uh and into the the drill session there at Bandcamp and uh Ross Eddings was gonna make us run. So when I took off my dip can rolled out of my shorts where I was hiding my dip can in for the day. And uh so the you know I had two choices. I can either swallow it or uh get in trouble, and it was gonna call my parents. So we we still laugh about that all day long because you know the the whole um brass line took off running straight, and I took off running straight and made a beeline right trying to catch my rolling dip can and uh made it very obvious. So uh yeah, that's something we still laugh about today.
SPEAKER_03So did you know back then that music was going to be such a big part of your life?
SPEAKER_01You know, I didn't realize it how big of a piece it was gonna be in my life, but I I found out at an early age uh what music was doing for me personally, even as a teenager and even dealing with the things that teenagers deal with every day. I look back now and uh music has just been my refuge and my safe place pretty much my entire life. So uh I know that music made me feel good. And uh I know that uh learning my parts made me feel good. So I didn't look at it the same way I look at it today. Um, but looking back on it, uh music was doing just what it was supposed to do. That's good stuff.
SPEAKER_03What did those years teach you that still shows up every time you perform today?
SPEAKER_01Discipline, work ethic, habits, uh, all the things that's important uh as you prepare for a show is the same thing we did uh, you know, carrying around a song flute in the third grade. Uh we want to be we wanted to be prepared when we came to class, so you had to develop a work ethic, uh even even as a child, even as a teenager, and even as a young adult, uh, you know, continuing in music, you uh you have to develop and maintain those habits uh if you want to be successful and and do what you're supposed to do. So that taught me at a like I say in the third grade when I signed up to be in music class. Um it's taught me that since day one.
SPEAKER_03We all know that band kids are basically just touring musicians with less sleep and worse snacks. I mean, that's what it boils down to, right? So there from there, your roots got deeper. Church, piano every Sunday. Then you formed some bands, All for Him, Shiloh, and suddenly this wasn't just the band kid chapter anymore. You're now collaborating internationally with our amazing friend and band director, David Henry on music. He lives in Ecuador and you live in Georgia. How is that going?
SPEAKER_01It's it's it's going wonderful. And uh listen, I I've been able to create such an amazing circle uh here in the music business. Uh, my membership with the International Singer Songwriters Association. So it's not just Dave, it's it's it's from folks all over the world that listen, if you can just have the have another expert in your field to listen to listen to your craft, to look at your craft, um, that's priceless. And uh, but Dave has been, you know, he he's still we still have the student-teacher relationship. I I can't get past that. He has, I can't get past that. But um, you know, I'm here in Nashville today and I've got some uh some sessions um scheduled this afternoon. And the first person I'm gonna send that to, the first mix that I get back, the first person I'm gonna send that to is Dave, uh just to put it put his production ears on it, um, you know, and give me his feedback. And it's just it's it's again, it's just been priceless. Um the final product has, and uh it just makes me cherish the the lyrics and the song and the production even more.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah, Dave's a fantastic musician. So let me give the quick headline version and then you give me the real one, okay? You built a serious life in two worlds with the music, and then fire service, firefighter, EMT, leadership, command staff, and then eventually fire chief. I mean, that's not one career that's two full whole lives right there. Uh, which was harder to manage? A real emergency or a band full of musicians with opinions on where to eat after the gig?
SPEAKER_01Um, it's more frustrating uh dealing with the musicians uh at times, but definitely um the fire service, uh just just because of this decisions that had to be made in such a quick time, and they had to be the correct decisions. Um a lot of times I I tell my son the same thing. Well, the reason I am the reason I am the way I am, and the reason I am with that with you is in my world, um, if we made a mistake, then it wasn't just, hey, we lost money, um, hey, we lost some time, or we lost a little bit of focus, and we need to refocus. In my world for 32 years, if we made a mistake, then usually somebody died. And um, so you know, we we have to be perfect, we have to train, um, and we have to execute uh the same way every single time. And so uh managing the fire service was a little bit harder. Um, and it got harder as the older I got. Um it employees changed. Um it wasn't uh we wasn't attracting this the same workforce um as we did when when I came in at 17, 18 years old. Um it it there's just I found out really quickly that the 17, 18-year-old man was different in 1989 than it is in 2027. Uh so uh, you know, it's just it's just different. You know, and uh a lot of that I a lot of that I blame on our generation, you know, how how we raise our kids. Um my parents raised me a little bit different. Um but yeah, to answer your question, it was it was more it was harder to manage uh emergency scenes than it was the the music guys, but it it it was more frustrating uh with the music guys. Sure.
SPEAKER_03So what did the fire service teach you that still shows up in your music life?
SPEAKER_01Again, like I just mentioned, uh the training, this the stability, the structure, I guess the structure of how it's how we operate and do our day-to-day business. Um, a lot of that translates in the same way that I was brought up with music, and I don't know that if that's what attracted to me to that profession or not, uh paramilitary, uh, because even band was paramilitary a little bit, you know, and uh, but that that's what I that's what I was used to. That's what I would that's how I prospered. So um I I took that same grit, I took that same work ethic, I took that same structure and just applied to my everyday life. Um, and even with music.
SPEAKER_03If music disappeared tomorrow, would would part of you still be ready to run back towards the firehouse?
SPEAKER_01You know, I I still have all my gear and I'm still listed as an assistant chief in my hometown. So when I'm not on the road and and I get some time, at least I still get to go by and smell fire trucks and you know and run calls and and stuff like that. I've some I've built some very strong relationships throughout my career. And um I still stay on the board of directors, um, active with the board of directors with the firefighters of Georgia. And uh, you know, I was just with them for Firefighter Day at our capital with our legislators and just still trying to do what I can to push forward the Georgia Fire Safety has made it, make it a better place uh for our men and women in the fire service, a safer place. And um, so I I'll I would go back to that in a minute if I needed to put food on the table.
SPEAKER_03So, was there ever a day you left to shift and then went straight to a gig thinking I am held together by coffee in Jesus?
SPEAKER_01Uh Heather, I I remember the days early on in my career where the bus would be waiting on me outside of the fire station for me to uh clock out at seven to get on the bus, uh, to go to a show somewhere, and then bring me back two days later to make sure I was there as shift change. Um, but yeah, uh a lot of energy drinks, uh a lot of coffee. Um, but luckily uh I was too young to drive, and my dad was still driving the bus back then. So, you know, if if I needed a nap, I could get it because you get it on the way to the show.
SPEAKER_03Well, if you can manage a real emergency, you can survive a late sound check, right?
SPEAKER_02That's right.
SPEAKER_03All right, this is a perfect spot for our first song that we're gonna hear uh from Mark. Before we play it, Mark, tell me about this one. It's called Brim. What's the story behind it and what was going on in your life when you wrote it?
SPEAKER_01So Brim is a is a special song uh for me, uh, and it's just about my grandson. His name is Connor. Um, but when he was born, he just wouldn't stop moving. And I we live on the lake, and I said, look at this little Brim, you know, talking about the fish. And it stuck. So now his teachers and every, you know, I don't even know if he knows his real name now. His real name's Connor, but everyone calls him Brim. But um, like I say, we live out on the lake, and one day I was having a conversation with Brim when he was about nine months old. About as much of a conversation as you can have with a nine-month-old at the time. And I was just uh Papa was holding his grandson and I was just looking at him and talking about life. I said, Brim, it's gonna be hell when you're going through it. It's gonna be tough, but you gotta do it. Please don't make the same mistakes as your old man. And uh, you know, I got to thinking about that, and I said, Oh, that's a song. So the next day I got up and um crafted the song with some we had a big show at the house the next day. I had a great singer-songwriter. He is doing phenomenal right now. Brian Martin was at the house, and I told him the story, and we sit down there in our basement, finished the song in about 45 minutes, went to Nashville and recorded it, and uh it's doing very well. So I hope you enjoy it the same way I enjoyed writing it and crafting it.
SPEAKER_03Well, I love that. And the title alone sounds like somebody's life is full to the top, which honestly fits you.
SPEAKER_00Here's Mark Ware with Brimson asked me the other day, He said Fipper, why do I feel this way? I could tell by the hurt and the pain, the heading is ass walk and we talked a while. I'm done beating it.
SPEAKER_03Okay, we've laughed, we've reminisced. Now I want to sit in a part of your story where you and I both know that life eventually stops being a rehearsal and gets very, very real. You lost your daughter at 14, and then later you and your wife Kim walked through the loss of her child at 18. That kind of grief changes everything. You've uh both walked through what no parent wants to imagine, losing a child. And I I I appreciate that you talk about it so openly and honestly. When people hear he lost a child, they understand the words, but not the reality. What did grief actually look like for you in those early days and months?
SPEAKER_01It was just uh pure hell, Heather. It was it really was. Um it's just you you can't even fathom and imagine um, you know, God giving you the most precious thing he could ever give you, and that's a child. And then it being ripped ripped from you uh suddenly twice. Um and then having to, you know, spend your holidays and birthdays and stuff learning, just trying to figure out how to cope with the new world that you live in without the most precious thing you ever was given. Um, but that's the only way I would describe it is just gut wrenching and uh pure hell.
SPEAKER_03Well, you've been open about how that loss pulled you into a dark space. Looking back now, what do you wish people understood about grief and the spiral that can come with it?
SPEAKER_01You know, and a lot of folks always say this, and and and I I I'm big with my faith. Um and a lot of people always say this and you know, say, hey, you need to you need to turn to the Lord in in this situation, He's the only one that's gonna help you pull through, kind of thing. But you know, even that's the last thing that a parent wants to hear. Um, it is so true. Because at the end of the day, the only thing that snatched me back from the pits of hell was my prayers to my God. Uh prayers to the Lord. It's the only thing that's that that snatched me back. And until I just uh surrendered uh like I was supposed to and gave it to him, um, I think that's the only reason I'm even taking a breath today is because I finally surrendered. Um it's it doesn't um it doesn't decrease the pain that you have. Um but uh you know somehow, some way, I don't know how to answer it. Uh I just know that he's given me the strength. Um, and he's given me he's given me what it's taken to move forward. And so um it wasn't until I surrendered and said, Hey Lord, it you know, if if this is how it's gonna be, then so be it.
SPEAKER_03So how did faith and community help you find your way back without pretending everything was okay?
SPEAKER_01You know, it's just uh again, that's a hard one to answer. Um it it's a supernatural feeling that you have when you do have a personal relationship um with our Lord. Um, but it it was his guidance. It was my surrender, but it was his guidance, and um you know that that's the best way I know to answer that, uh Heather.
SPEAKER_03Well, as it often does, a song comes out of pain, and it carries a very specific kind of compassion, and I know your heart behind it is to help parents who've had to walk this road as well. Tell me how your new song, Lost One, came to be. Was it a lyric first, a memory, a moment? What opened that door to be able to spill out that grief and that hope and healing that the Lord gave you during that time?
SPEAKER_01So we're getting some momentum here with our business and music, um, where our fans are just really wanting to know me. They're really wanting to just get to know me. They want to know my story. And so I'm I'm pumping out the the songs about my grandkids. The song about my grandkids on the way, I'm my life, uh, you know, the the the good times and the bad times. And um as I was thinking one evening, I was just watching TV thinking, and uh just just watching my wife, and I was like, you know what, a good song would be for me uh right now is to write a song, and it was intended at first to write a song about her journey uh and her grief, and just me witnessing uh a mama trying to go through a parent, go through the new norm, trying to figure out the new norm, uh, and her journey with losing a child. So it started with that, and um I was scheduled uh back in Tennessee a couple of days later, and a lot of my a lot of my time time in the truck or on the bus is I I do my songwriting. I write down my lyrics, I talk in my phone, uh make notes. But by the time I got to Tennessee, um, you know, I it turned into an anthem, uh, although it still mentions, it still still follows the the concept of where I wanted it to go. But it turned out to be an anthem, I hope, um, for any parent that's had to deal with this terrible journey of laying one of their children down. Um and so far we've had great response from it. Um we did a lyric video, I'm sure you've you've seen it by now. Uh and it's just got pictures of and I didn't realize how many, but as soon as I asked for just in our circle, um, hey, if you've lost a child, send me a picture and You know, their dates, and I want to honor them in our lyric video. And um, you know, I almost needed a longer song. Um, sadly, I almost needed a longer song, but you know, if it just puts a smile on one of these parents, it's a parent's face, um, you know, and it just brings somehow brings a little bit of comfort uh by honoring uh their child, then hey, we met our goal. And um the goal is just want to just just shine some light in such a dark place, and that's what the song was intended to do, just shine some sort of light into a family's dark place.
SPEAKER_03Well, let's hear it. Here's Mark Ware in his song, Lost One.
SPEAKER_00Always chasing one more dream, hit it out with quiet smiles, stronger than I've ever seen. All those first you fall to reach still echo in this home, and the hardest roads in life for once a parent walks alone. Some things hit harder when the quiet settles in. And that loss cuts deeper than you'll ever imagine. Watching over me. Nothing more time, from your love. Yeah, when you lost Will I hear your voice in memory When the night turns road along Tryna be the kind where you believed in all along. I've learned the brightest light to cast the darkest shadows. Some days the hardest path for the water, it's worth more than you could spend. Your pictures on the line, watching over me like you do. I say two prayers every morning. One for me and one for you.
SPEAKER_03What a powerful song, Mark. Thank you for writing it. And I know it's gonna meet people in a place that's hard to explain unless you've lived it. One thing I really appreciate about your music is that even with all that depth, it still carries tenderness. That's that's a beautiful thing. Thank you. So you're in a chapter now where family, grandkids, and the simple stuff really mattered, the good stuff. I love that. Uh, how has being a granddad changed you?
SPEAKER_01Um, Mark, my son, would say has completely changed me. Um he would he would say that. Um, but I'm gonna tell you there is absolutely nothing like being a papa. Um that's probably my favorite hat that I wear. Um you know, I've I Mark being 24, I'm not Superman as much as I was anymore. So uh, you know, Superman was kind of turning back into Clark Kent kind of thing in our relationship. You know, he's now he's at the age where he's a little taller, a little stronger, maybe even a little better looking uh than his daddy, right? But now I get to just go back full circle. So now I'm Superman again to these grandkids, and they just think that Papa's the strongest, he's the best, you know, and uh, you know, and and I I just absolutely love it. So I've been able to go full circle. You know how your kids, you know, just think so much of you at first, and then you know, then they become more smarter than you, and uh, you know, for a time period, and it just goes full circle. Uh and grandkids just give that give you that opportunity to, you know, be that top spot one more time. So and I and I'm soaking it up as much as I can. My grandbabies are my world.
SPEAKER_03Well, how do you relax with your family when you're not performing?
SPEAKER_01Uh relax. Um we we have uh, you know, I'm I got ADD so bad. I mean, if if I'm relaxing, I'm asleep. So usually if I'm up, we're um we're we're going at it um at the wear camp. But uh relaxing, I'd say, for me is just uh, you know, when we do it's cookouts outside and look about the lake and uh you know, playing some um cornhole or you know, boat rides or something like that. But uh we're all we're always doing something. Uh the house is always full when we're home. So uh it's like it was when I went to my grandparents uh back in the day. We're Kim and I are still doing family night once a week. So we still do dinner once a week and you know, and and mandate all the children and grandchildren come over to the house and eat once a week. We put up our phones and we talk at the dinner table. Um so um, but you know, I guess relaxing in our world right now is just spending time with family and uh you know just loving and cherishing every minute we get with them. That's wonderful.
SPEAKER_03Mark, we're gonna hear another song from another part of your heart, the heart of a granddaddy. So before we play this one, tell us the story behind I Already Love You.
SPEAKER_01So um little Mark called me a few months back and says, Hey, you will y'all come over for a second. I need to ask you, come over to the house, I need to ask you something. So the whole time I was driving over, I was like, okay, I just need to borrow money. Um, you know, wonder why why we've got to go over. Why can't he just ask me on the phone? Well, we knew when we walked in, uh, we walked into his place, and on the island there in the kitchen was a pregnancy result stick in a onesie uh that said, baby wear. So he wanted us to come over so he could tell us that you know Rebecca was expecting another child or a child. And so uh, you know, I kept thinking, I wonder if it's a boy, I wonder if it's a girl, I wonder if it's a boy, I wonder if it's a girl. And um, you know, it wasn't long after that, you know, something spoke inside of me and says, Don't matter if it's a boy or if it's a girl, I already love you. And so um, you know, the sex don't matter. I already love you. And so that's where the song came from. And uh, you know, it just talks about you know the things I look forward to, the hide and go seat, you know, and them playing music in my band, and you know, all the things that I'm doing with my other grandchildren, I can't wait to do with you, and it don't matter what you are, I already love you.
SPEAKER_03Well, here's Mark Gware with I Already Love You.
SPEAKER_00The angels had a secret. They whispered in my ear, a little babies on the way to bless our world down here. Ballet shoes away and a brand new baseball glove. Either way, there's no time to waste to dedicate my love. Maybe I should read you first.
SPEAKER_03Let's talk about craft in the business side for a minute. One thing I've always respected about you is that your music is built to connect. You write from a real place, and I think people can feel that. What makes a song feel relatable to you?
SPEAKER_01What makes it, you know, I just, you know, I try the main word, Heather, I just want to keep the song real. Um, you know, if it happened to me, you know, um, I'm trying to stay out of the fictional space and say, listen, um, what is it time for right now? What is it time for for the fans to learn about Markware? You know, uh I've got 54 years here on this earth, so I got a lot to write and share about. So what part and what part of my story can I share with the fans uh next? And um luckily I'm getting these little boosts. Um I'm getting these little boosts like the kids telling me I'm gonna be another granddad, or you know, um a big win at the t-ball field, or you know, conversations with my grandson at the lake, or you know, playing a packed out show in Arizona, you know. So I'm I'm I've got a lot of exciting things happening um that just help me create um and just stay positive and and that's what I want to share. I just want to always share a positive message um and and and just try to give something back. Um and that that's my whole goal at the end of the day. I just want to be positive and give back.
SPEAKER_03Well, I love that. I know that you're helping one of my students, and you've always been so kind when I've called and had a question, and uh, you know, I think a lot of people get things wrong about the music business. What would you say they get wrong about the music business?
SPEAKER_01The business concept in general, um, you know, I wish I knew more of the business concept of it um before I was so deep in it. Um, because I've had to learn as I go. And I I figured now if I if I could restart my full-time career five or six years ago and know what I know now, I would have missed many of the pitfalls or many of the obstacles I could have avoided if I just knew. And uh, but in the music business, nobody really wants to share that. Uh they kind of feel like, hey, if I share with you, it's gonna put me back two steps or it's gonna be harder for me to climb. But I found that uh a lot of folks don't want to share uh the secrets to the business, if you will. Um, and I just don't find that to be true. I I I feel like success can be made quicker with numbers. And uh, if if helping you, I feel like helping you is gonna help me get to where I need to be even faster. Um so uh two heads are better than one kind of thing. So every opportunity I get to help another artist, or if they tell me where they're at and what they're doing, if I've have seen uh that obstacle prior, I'll I'll be quick to say, uh I I maybe want to look you may want to look at that because that's not the way uh I've seen it. Um and this is what it caused me. It took me three steps back, and um but you may want to look at this, and uh, you know, distribution was a big thing. Uh it wasn't till you know, it wasn't until I I found out how this distribution really works with uh streaming. Um I just felt like I was spinning my wheels. Uh now I had to do some things in order, you know, you had to be at a at a 30,000 um minimum stream of a month, I think it was a month, um, before you would qualify to get on a good streaming distribution company. But that's been a uh a world change overnight just for a moving catalog over off of one of the one of the you know platforms that's available for the independent artists out there. Um but it's been night and day, and I could see if I knew now uh my time and efforts would have been focused a little bit different areas, I'd have been focused on growing my streaming numbers a lot faster than what I did uh organically, and seeing the things that help me do that, I would have done them a lot sooner. Um that would allow more money in my pocket at the end of the day, uh, because it gets expensive. You figure every every song you produce, you know, I'm probably I'm probably in for you know five, six thousand dollars a song, uh, you know, 40 songs on a catalog, it adds up. And uh somehow you if you're deciding to do this full time, uh somehow you gotta figure out how to pay that $200,000 and still make money. Um, and so that the business concept in general uh would be the toughest obstacle. I wish I'd have knew different. Um I wish I'd had somebody like myself to to to keep me from some of the pitfalls. Um I think I would be a little bit further on in my career if so. But hey, we're catching up and we're catching up fast and uh and we're able to pay our bills and still keep Macy in college at Auburn and um you know with a little bit of a retirement check we're making, but we're we're making it happen in the music business, and it's all because of you know, you guys, folks like you that's putting me on these podcasts and fans that want to hear the music, and you know, there's just uh there's just a demand for a a solid, real singer-songwriter type presence out there. People want to hear your story, and that's what I would tell any artist. Listen, people want to hear your story. Give it to them. Give it to them. Open it up, give it to them. They want to hear your story. Um some of your losses can help them win. So uh that's what you gotta think of it.
SPEAKER_03Well, thank you for having a granddaddy heart towards all these young artists that are getting started. And yeah, I I'm a little I'm a little biased. I think Gen X, I think we are we're the one of the best, last, greatest generations because we were raised by World War II bets. But uh then we also saw the internet uh, you know, come into fruition. And and I think we've got a balance that that the new generation has to learn on their own too. And I hope we can not gatekeep. Um, I I teach artist development, and that's part of what I do is try to help artists you know, learn how to do this. I we shouldn't gatekeep. We we can all win. If it's good, it's good, right? So I think we should all help each other win for sure. So quick fire, we we always do this on the show. We do a quick fire fun section. Uh so don't overthink. I I will I I I won't judge you. So coffee or tea?
SPEAKER_01Coffee.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I knew the answer to that one. And I I know the answer probably to this one too, because being a fellow creative, early bird or night owl?
SPEAKER_01Early bird.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. Well, I'm actually very opposite. I I I can stay up all night. Uh favorite comfort food.
SPEAKER_01My favorite food in the entire world is hamburger steak. So that's my go-to.
SPEAKER_03All right. Uh, how do you like it cooked?
SPEAKER_01Uh medium.
SPEAKER_03Medium, okay, cool. So what is one song that you never skip?
SPEAKER_01The dance, Garth Brooks.
SPEAKER_03Garth Brooks. Awesome. Something funny, you're oddly opinionated about.
SPEAKER_01What the temperature is set on on the thermostat at the house.
SPEAKER_03And what would that be?
SPEAKER_01I'm saying it needs to be 68, but uh, I just can't I I I don't understand why when I walk past it, sometimes it's 69 or 67. I thought we were on 68, but listen, you pick your battles.
SPEAKER_03Right. So a habit that makes life better.
SPEAKER_01Um listen, I learned this a long time ago. Um, when you're going through struggles, or my my granddad sent me down one time and he said, Listen, if you want to change one thing, all you need to do, if you want to change things, all you need to do is get up before the sun comes up for one solid year. Make that a habit and your life a change. And I still do that today. And I find myself when I get up before anybody else gets up, that's when I look at my emails. That's when I have my private time with the Lord. That's when I plan out my day, and I can get more done, you know, before anybody else gets up. Um, I get to the office first. Uh, you know, I I do that in every every aspect. I get to the gigs first. Um, but just getting up every day before the sun comes up can change your life.
SPEAKER_03I I do my best work at night, so my hours are are a little skewed because I don't start teaching until the afternoon. So I my time is usually after that. So uh something people wouldn't expect that you love talking about.
SPEAKER_01Um, you know, most people don't know this either, but uh, you know, I'm a business consultant as well, and and I love talking business and I love uh developing strategies and and goals and marketing strategies and you know um but most people don't know that about me, but that's something I really enjoy doing.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so basically you're a songwriter, fire chief, granddad, consultant, and thermostat sheriff is what you just told us. A very balanced man.
SPEAKER_02Easy, easy.
SPEAKER_03So, Mark, we have one more song we want to hear today. Um, tell us the name of this one. Uh Lessons, is that the name of it?
SPEAKER_01That's right. Lessons is the name of it. And uh it's it was a song and uh I wrote for uh Mark Jr. And um, you know, it's just you know, like the beginning of the song talks about, you know, I'm seeing a little more gray in my hair these days. I can't throw those hay bells like I used to. You know, I I'm getting weaker, you're getting stronger, but I hope uh that you know, be me being your dad, you you you was able to grab some lessons that you would be able to take and share with your kids.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's awesome. Let's hear it.
SPEAKER_00There's a little more gray in my hair these days. And I can't take a punch like I used to. I'm still bailing hay in this gorgeous song. But I can't throw those bells like I could when I was young. I guess I'm getting older. Hope I'm getting wiser too. Hope I'm learning less sense that I can't leave to you. I used to drive a truck. It was just like yours. I'd love to hit the back road to hear those muggirs roll. Now that things are different. It ain't all about the show. The only thing that matters is getting where I need to go. I hope I'm getting what virtue. I hope I'm learning less than I can't believe. Oh, I guess I'm getting older. Some I wouldn't trade one memory with me from the time that I first held you to the man you are today. I guess I'm getting older. I hope I'm getting wiser too. I hope I'm learning lessons that I can leave to you.
SPEAKER_03Oh, what a great song, Mark. I am so proud of you, by the way. Not just for the music or for the career, but the literally for the honesty and heartfelt way you live your life and you share your heart so big. You've lived through some hard things and you've turned that into songs that help people feel less alone. And I think that really matters. So to wrap up today, tell everybody where to find you and what's coming next.
SPEAKER_01So uh you can find me at officialmarkwear.com. Um all of our tour dates should be on there, uh should be updated. Bands in town should be updated. If not, it will be updated later on the day. Um you can find me on the TikToks and the Instagram at MWareMusic and just my name on Facebook. Uh you can you can find us there. Uh what's next is uh I think in March we're in Sarasota, Kentucky, and Utah. So the the tour actually starts, I think, March 9th. And um last year we did 51 shows in 52 weeks. Uh this year we've dialed it back a little bit. We went from Seattle to Florida last year, we've dialed it back. We're we're really trying to make a splash in the southeast. Uh so a lot of southeast dates this year. Um, and we're probably targeting 40 to 45 shows. Um if if you'd like us, you can you can go to the website, inquire. If you see a festival or fair you want to uh invite us to, we would love to come. So more importantly, just stream our songs. Just stream our songs and uh give us the feedback.
SPEAKER_03Well, I know that Lost One is uh at the time of this recording is about to be released. So when you hear this, listeners, please go download Lost One. Download all the songs that you heard today on the show. Go follow Markware, he's my good buddy, at official markware.com and at MWare Music. This is the Heather Patero Show. And Mark, we've uh uh we've just loved having you today, my friend.
SPEAKER_01Thank you, and thank you for what you're doing, Heather. Thank you so much. Well, we need more of this out there, and so uh thank you for just uh helping us artists out here.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I love you guys. You know, I'm one of you, and uh we we gotta help each other, right? We can all win.
SPEAKER_01Yes, ma'am.
SPEAKER_03Awesome. Hey, listen, we'll see you next time on the Heather Patero Show. You've been listening to the Heather Patero Show, produced by Heather Patero Studios. Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram or visit Heatherpatero.com. Until next time, stay creative and live on purpose.