interview with Mark Protze
How come that you started playing music? I started playing guitar at the age of 12. I was inspired by all those great bands and guitarists from the eighties. Randy Rhoads, Yngwie Malmsteen, Jason Becker, Vinnie Moore. In the year 1999 i’ve decided to study music, guitar and piano on the „Jazz & Rockschool“ in Freiburg. Since then i am working as a composer, producer and musician in different styles.
What are your names? / How old are you? Who plays what? My name is Mark Protze i am born on the 6th of May 1975 in Wolfsburg. I play guitar, bass and piano on all my recordings.
Did you make music even when you were young? Yes i started at the age of 12 and played over the years in different kind of bands and styles from Metal, Rock, Funk, Jazz and more.
Where are you from? I was born in Wolfsburg in Germany. Over the years I travelled through different citys like Freiburg, Berlin and now my new home is Frankfurt.
What year did the band form? I`ve released a lot of solo CD’s .... The first one was released in 1994.
What's your style of genre? The first CD’s were Neo-Classicmetal like Yngwie Malmsteen and Vinnie Moore. My last two CD’s „Guitar Compilation“ and „Adventure Wonderland“ are really different! They are more like film music soundtracks in the style of „Lord of the Rings“.
What inspires you? Good musicians and guitarplayers. But the most i like to write some own stuff and create some good music that will touch the listener.
Do you have other interests of work outside the band? I am a professionell musician and i make music all the time. I love doing it that is what i want do do all my live. When i will have some time for other things i will take the time i love to do a walk through the woods where i can get some new ideas for songs or do some sporting actions.
Are you looking for a label, and what are your thoughts around that? Now at this time it makes no difference if you will have a label or not. You can sell copies of your CD’s on your own. In these days the labels get to much money from the artist or the bands. The great 80ties are gone. Nowadays you are able to make money when you play in coverbands.
What made you decide to make this music? Back as a kid in the 80ties I’ve seen all those great bands on MTV like Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Europe, Yngwie Malmsteen etc. they looked so COOL J I looked at all those great videos and that was what I wanted to do J I love to create some own music and touch the listener with my music. The most important THING is : music is emotions and feelings.
Do you have a regular place you play live often? I play in two coverbands. The first band is called „Ryffhuntr“ we play 80ties stuff like Van Halen, Bon Jovi, Europe etc. we play gigs all around in Germany. The other coverband is called „Taste of Glory“ it’s an Acoustic-Rock-Duo which plays gigs in Wolfsburg and surburban.
What was your last gig? This weekend we’ve played with „Ryffuntr“ at the „Open Doors Festival“ in Neu Isenburg. It is a GREAT festival visitored by a lot of people which like good music.
Have you had to cancel a gig? No at this time NOT.
Where have you played live this year? There were a lot of cities we’ve played this year. Delmenhorst, Braunschweig, Neu Isenburg, Ahlen, Wolfsburg, Gifhorn and more.
Where can people buy your merchandise?
People can by my CD’s or autographed photos by
mail: [email protected]
Or they can visit my page: www.markprotze.com
What do you think about people downloading music instead of buying records now a days? This is not right for the composers/musicians they’ve spent a lot of time to compose their music. If your car broke down you’ll must pay the body shop ! But it is not self-evident to pay a musician/band for the music. It is a lot of work and time investion to compose and record some new music and release a CD!!!
Some channels like You-Tube are great to reach more people but those channels don’t pay the musicians/bands anything. The kids at this time don’t buy any CD’s it is a very hard time for new bands to sell a certain CD so they can fix their living with that, if you are not BIG in these times like Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai etc. you have NO CHANCE to reach the listeners by You-Tube, I-Tunes, Spotify they take too much money from the artist!!!
What are your songs about? Every song is like a little story. Close your eyes listen carefully and build your own story to my music.
Do you have any role models or idols? My idols are guitarplayers like: Yngwie Malmsteen, Randy Rhoads, Vinnie Moore, Zakk Wylde, Andy Timmons, Steve Vai, Scott Henderson.
Is it easier to find inspiration from older bands, or bands that are more active to day? I think the older bands definitely wrote better songs!!! You are able to learn a lot from those bands. New bands rarely suprise me. They`re often sound all the same and soul and heart ist missing.
What advice would you give other bands or artists? You need idols to get a better musician or guitarplayer. Copy your idols BUT make your OWN sound. Now one will to listen do a bad copy of J. Satriani, Y.Malmsteen or anything. Create your own style of music and songs. If the people go with that what you compose and you’ll play with a lot of passion they will appreciate that!
Do you have any new material? At this time i am writing on new songs. The material will be released at the end of this year and it is a kind of music for film music soundtracks that will be released on You-Tube.
What are your web sites?
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Protze/280126522039402?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/Ryffhuntr?fref=ts
How can people reach you? Mail: [email protected]
What are your plans for the future? To compose more great music and to become a better songwriter/player.
I compose music for videos, jingles and pages if some people are interested in i would be honored to do some cool stuff for that. Feel free to contact me.