A Short Biography

Mark was born April 23, 1955 into a musical family. He began his formal musical training with cello at age ten and later switched over to string bass. His first performance was in 1971 on electric bass in a high school rock band. Inspired by a love for folk and traditional music, he started to play the guitar and mandolin.

From 1973 to 1978 Mark got his Degree in Music Theory and Composition from Haverford College, studied for a year at Berklee College of Music in Boston, picked up the old-time banjo, and went to his first old-time fiddle festival in Fiddler's Grove, North Carolina. He also started to learn to clog, inspired by his work with Mandala, a Boston based folk dance group. In 1977 he met Bela Fleck which led to a fruitful association including working together in Tasty Licks, Spectrum, and many recording projects. This includes Bela's latest acoustic recording, "Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Volume II, The Bluegrass Sessions".

In 1983 Mark changed direction and relocated to Nashville where he played country music on electric bass. He re-entered the acousic world in 1985 when he joined the Tony Rice Unit. From 1990 to 1998 Schatz played with Tim and Mollie O'Brien as one the O'Boys. It was during this time that he began his association with The Fiddle Puppet Dancers (currently known as Footworks Percussive Dance Ensemble). Performing with Tim (who always included some old-time music in his shows with Mark on banjo) and the dance group encouraged him to pursue his own solo recording in 1995, Brand New Old Tyme Way on Rounder. This was produced by Bela and featured Mark's clawhammer banjo playing and original compositions. 

In 2006, Mark released a second solo record on Rounder called Steppin' in the Boilerhouse. The album features the line-up from his band Mark Schatz & Friends: Missy Raines, Casey Driessen & Jim Hurst.

In addition to his work with the above artists, Mark has toured and or recorded with an impressive array of performers including Emmylou Harris, Jerry Douglas, Maura O'Connel, John Hartford, Mark O'Connor and Linda Ronstadt. 

He is currently playing bass with the band Nickel Creek as well as touring with Footworks as the dance company's Musical Director.