Who's This Guy?
I'm Mark L. Groves, writer of words, lover of cookies, smoker of meats, petter of cats. I cry during movies that involve dads and kids. I suck at small talk, but love to speak about the real things that make us tick. One of my favorite things to do is make people laugh, because a hearty chuckle is great medicine. And if milk runs out your nose while you laugh, consider that a gift. You're welcome.
Growing up a redneck thespian poet, I fit into a lot of groups... and yet none. I think that's what made me so fascinated with people, trying to understand what makes an us so very us. So when I read this quote from David Freeman, it became my life mantra:
"The goal of life is to take everything that made you weird as a kid, and get people to pay you money for it when you're older."
Amen, David. Love you, world. Let your weird light shine.
Bio
Mark L. Groves grew up in the Ozark Mountains of southern Missouri, where his love of trees and sky began. He started working full time in Branson, Mo., at the age of 11, washing dishes by hand in the back of a Dog N Suds restaurant. He worked full time every summer after that, in restaurants, odd jobs, and steam cleaning carpets so he could buy his own clothing, baseball cards, a 1955 Plymouth, and pop-tarts. Not necessarily in that order.
Eventually he went on to earn a degree in Communications from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and also worked there on a Masters Degree in Philosophy.
Mark's radio industry career spans three-plus decades. He’s written thousands of commercials, promotional pieces, and radio theatre scripts, including helping to start the original Radio Disney at the ABC Radio Networks in Dallas, TX.
While in Dallas, Mark also worked with Pegasus Theater as an audio tech, assistant director, and actor. He earned a nomination from Dallas Theatre League's Leon Rabin Awards for audio design, for his work on the play "One of Them Male Things."
From an early age and ever onward, Mark's written plays, short stories, novels, songs, and poetry. He has five speculative fiction anthologies out: HELLZAPALOOZA The Best DamnED Rock Show Ever!, Black Buttons Vol. 1, Black Buttons Vol. 2, Black Buttons Vol. 3: A Family Affair, and Route 666: Four on the Floor.
Mark's short stories and photography appear in “Kansas City Voices Magazine,” plus short stories in the online “Strange, Weird, and Wonderful Magazine”, The Book of Blasphemous Words anthology collection, and the yet-to-be-published Ghosts on Drugs anthology. He also has poetry and photography published in Minneapolis-based Auk Contraire’s arts ‘zine, issues “Intoxication”, "Haunted", and "no/where." Mark lives in Olathe, KS, and works as Regional Production Director for Audacy (formerly Entercom).
Resume
Skills
Creativity under any deadline
Author, copywriter, playwright
30+ years in the radio industry
Excellent work ethic and attitude
Voice actor, stage actor, podcaster
20+ years management
Software:
- Adobe Audition
- Microsoft Word
- Premiere (working knowledge)
- Photoshop (working knowledge)
Education
Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications, University of Missouri, Columbia
Work completed toward a Masters Degree in Philosophy, University of Missouri, Columbia
Honorary Graduate, FA 30 Information Operations Qualification Course, United States Army Information Operations Proponent
Experience
2001–Present REGIONAL PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Audacy, Kansas City, Mission, KS
Oversee commercial production department covering 14 Audacy markets, including Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and others. Write/voice/produce scripts, brainstorm multi-media marketing ideas, design format for and record hour-long vertical-marketing radio shows.
2015 - 2017 ADJUNCT ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS
Taught 200-level Radio Production class. Prepared syllabus, created course content and progression, taught strong copywriting, voicing, and mixing techniques for commercials, promos, and programming content. Introduced students to commercial radio in a way that could lead to employment in the industry.
2000–2001 PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Talk Productions Network, Dallas, TX
Wrote, voiced, and produced commercials, promos, imaging, and audio product demos for the multitude of talk shows. Organized production department and designed workflow systems for communication between intracompany departments.
1999–Present OWNER
Owner Magnificent Cowlick Media, LLC, Olathe, KS
Own and operate a freelance audio/video/scriptwriting/book publishing business.
1996–1999 PRODUCTION DIRECTOR
Radio Disney Network, Dallas, TX
Oversaw two-division production department built from the ground up. Created new “edutainment” programming covering over 40% of the U.S. market, including 16 of the top 20 markets. Writer and voice actor for “edutainment” and theater-of-the-mind audio for network.
Awards and Accomplishments
2019 Finalist for Radio Mercury Award – Radio Station Produced Commercial
2019 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 1st & 2nd Place Radio Commercial Production
2018 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Awards 1st Place Radio Commercial Production
2018 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 2nd Place Radio Commercial Production
2018 Author, publisher, Black Buttons Vol. 3: A Family Affair fiction short story anthology.
2017 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 1st & 2nd Place Radio Commercial Production
2017 Author, “Hiding From the Rain” short story, published in Book of Blasphemous Words anthology.
2016– 2017 photography and poetry published in Auk Contraire ‘Zine, issues 2–4.
2016 Author, “Spliff” short story, published in upcoming anthology Ghosts on Drugs.
2016 Author/editor/publisher, Route 666: Four on the Floor fiction short story anthology.
2015 Author/publisher, Black Buttons Vol. 2 fiction short story anthology.
2014 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Awards 2nd Place Radio Commercial Production
2014 Author, “A Fairy Tale Life” short story published in Kansas City Voices magazine, Vol. 12.
2014 Editor/author/publisher, Black Buttons Vol. 1 fiction short story anthology
2013 Kansas Association of Broadcasters Awards 1st Place Radio Commercial Production
2013 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 2nd Place Radio Commercial Production
2013 Author, “A Little Toast and James” short story published in Kansas City Voices magazine, Vol. 11
2013 Photographer, Dew Diamonds photo published in Kansas City Voices magazine, Vol. 11
2012 Editor/author/publisher, HELLZAPALOOZA The Best DamnED Rock Show Ever! fiction novel/anthology
2011 Author, “I Now Pronoun You: Man and Life” short story published in Kansas City Voices magazine, Vol. 9
2011 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 1st Place Radio Commercial Production
2011 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 2nd Place Special Programming - Radio Theatre
2011 Video designer, Hello Baby theater script, She & Her Productions, Kansas City, KS
2010 Missouri Broadcasters Association Awards 1st Place Radio Commercial Production
2010 Author, “Deep Down Drain Repair” short story in Strange, Weird, and Wonderful magazine
2010 Playwright, All Hands on Death, staged by Death Becomes Us Players, Kansas City, MO
2009 Writer, editor, audio producer/voice talent, for audio cd, Fred Pryor Seminars/CareerTrack, Park University Enterprises
2009 Playwright, To Heir is Human, To Murder Divine, staged by Death Becomes Us Players, Kansas City, MO
2008 Video script writer, American Public Works Association, Kansas City, MO
What Does This Guy Do?
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