Page 11 - ION Indie Magazine JanFeb 2020 Issue

FEATURED

INTERVIEW:

Marty Haviik: Thank you for inviting me to your home and sharing a little about yourself. If

you would, tell the readers of ION Indie Magazine what makes Mark Gus Scott tick?

Mark Gus Scott: One thing I never expected was to live so many different lives within this life I have
been given. As I look back over time, I see the many different people I have become throughout my
life. At a young age, I was a sheltered kid attending private school, playing piano, eventually taking up
trumpet, making the transition to public school and playing with the middle school and high school band.
The only thing I knew about rock and roll was the ‘Grease Soundtrack.’ It wasn't until I was 12- years-
old and I heard my first KISS song, ‘Calling Dr. Love’ -- it awakened me to something so amazing! I
came to the realization that there is so much more in this world than what I was being exposed to. It
truly set the course for a new stage of life.

I auditioned for Trixter in 1984 while I was in high school. There was nothing I was more passionate
about. There are many kids in high school that deal with the pressure of wondering what they were
going to do with their life. I had no pressure whatsoever. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I saw
Trixter as the vehicle to make that happen. Joining forces with the guys in the band was something so
very special. We were all ready to take on the world...and we did. Three million albums, three #1 videos
on MTV, 15 Weeks at #1, Best New Band and Best Concert Tour Awards, four Top 20 AOR Radio Hits,
and the #26 album on the Billboard Charts…not too shabby! Then came grunge, and in 1995, I quit the
band and we all took a long time off. Our lives became radically different. I got married, had children,
and became a regular person. It was the first time that I put many things before myself, like kids and
the well-being of the family. A lot of growth as a person and professionally…I was able to discover that
I had more options in life than just playing music. I was a marketing professional for indoor amusement
parks, the Dave & Buster’s Corporation, and eventually, my own restaurant and the opportunity to
experience entrepreneurship. Truly, a very valuable and most rewarding experience! But in 2007, when
there was talk about putting the band back together, I was first on board! In 2008, Trixter started to play
shows again and they were big shows! It was a second gift from God. We released a live album from
Japan (‘Alive in Japan’), two new studio albums (‘New Audio Machine’ and ‘Human Era’/Frontiers
Records) charting #56 on iTunes. We were back with a vengeance!

Then came separation, and as my children grew older, ultimately, divorce. I moved from New Jersey
to Phoenix, Arizona, and found a new life for myself. At 51-years-old, I really did not expect to make it
this far. I developed a notion early on that if you were going to live hard, your time here was going to
be limited. But I have learned that is not necessarily the case. I believe there is more to be done and
there are things that I've yet to experience and boundaries I have yet to exceed. This life is full of
opportunity and it's truly just how much you want to go for. My future, although uncertain, shall be
interesting, to say the very least. I'm anxious to find out how this story ends. With my latest song, ‘With
You…,’ many doors have been opened and I am faced with making the decision of stepping through
or not. I must also decide in what way I'm going to step through that door. Adult contemporary? Solo
artist? Band? Rock and roll? I guess we shall see. Ultimately, I believe my long-term goal will be to
achieve happiness and peace, serving myself as well as the greater good, hopefully, through music.

www.MarkGusScott.com