Mark Van Haren music

I'm a singer. While I play rhythm guitar quite well, my main draw is my vocal performance. I sing songs originally performed by women (e.g., Carole King, Dionne Warwick, Roberta Flack, Gladys Knight, Linda Ronstadt), sometimes in the original key.

I'm flexible. I can perform in a variety of configurations:
+ as a solo act – guitar, voice, and light foot percussion
+ as a duo/trio – adding: keyboard and/or percussion (congas, snare, tambourine)
+ as a band – adding: keys, bass, drums
So that can work with a range of vibes – from low-key to festive.

When I play solo or with just keys, I mostly perform seated (so I can use foot percussion). When playing with a full band, I'll stand.

The songs I perform are relatively challenging to play. These are not your typical 3- or 4-chord pop tunes composed of only simple triads. It's harmonically rich stuff, crafted to create a '70s soul vibe. ...Within that, I can cater each set, leaning more into one style or another (e.g., pop, Motown, soul, jazz-rock).

I do not take on-the-spot requests. Why? Because I want to perform *well*. Instead, I have a large list of songs that's highly curated and my performances of them honed. ...However, if you know ahead of time that you're interested in a particular tune or two, let's talk!

I can bring my own sound system, suitable for relatively large venues and a good number of folks. If your venue is *especially* large (or the crowd especially numerous), let's talk to determine what to do about a PA.

When the music is about setting a mood (but the "audience" is more focussed on conversing), then I'll keep the song introductions and other banter to a minimum. If you're looking for a "concert", that's great, and I (or we) will perform accordingly.

Please let me know about the lighting situation. If the venue is dark, and if it feels appropriate, I'll set up some small mood lights.

I'm a child of the '70s, through and through. I grew up listening to the radio and idolizing the pop-soul stars of the day, from Al Green to Hall & Oates and Stevie Wonder to Steely Dan. (If I were band, I think I'd call myself "Steely Wonder".)

I pride myself on my singing. As a kid, I sang in a jazz choir selected by DownBeat Magazine as the nation's best. In college, I sang in an a cappella group. And in early adulthood, I was the frontman for two different bands. When my kids were teenagers, we formed a family band, in no small part so that I could expose my kids to music I love.

These days, I'm based in Santa Cruz. I perform solo/duo/trio shows here and in the Bay Area. I look forward to meeting you!

I have three variations of amplification – small, medium, and large. In order to select the best setup, it's good for me to know something about the venue (outdoors?, indoors?, likely number of attendees?).