THE HUMAN JUKEBOX
I went from novice singer and guitarist to street performer in just 18 months! I use my website and TikTok account to share my experiences, pass on my knowledge and use my newfound skills to raise suicide awareness and much needed funds for Stratford & District Samaritans through my #Donate60 campaign on JustGiving
What
I Do
As an acoustic guitarist and singer with a baritone voice, I arrange and perform solo acoustic versions of popular rock, pop, indie and alternative songs from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s (plus a few older and more modern classics too). Nicknamed “The Human Jukebox”, I stray from the typical setlist routine, opting instead to interact with my audience by playing songs “on request” from my entire repertoire. I’ve learnt over 60 songs “off by heart” to date, and manage to pull them off most of the time, as long as the occasional slip-ups are overlooked! I particularly love busking, and you’ll often find me serenading the streets of Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, and occasionally venturing further afield. Additionally, I enjoy performing at open-mic nights, pub gigs, festivals, private parties, and corporate events—feel free to reach out for bookings. I also actively share my busking journey, insights, and experiences through my YouTube, TikTok, and social media channels.
About
Me
I inherited my Dad’s guitar after he committed suicide in the mid-90’s, and spent a frustrating 18 months trying to learn how to play. But life got busy, and the guitar became an ornament, eventually to be sold. Fast forward 25 years to the end of 2019 just before COVID hit, I’m 55 years old, and decide to give guitar-playing another shot! I buy a beautiful Cort guitar and discover YouTube tutorials, which get me playing again. Around the same time, my wife introduced me to her singing teacher, Louise Hatton, who tells me she could teach me to sing “if you’re prepared to put a lot of work in”. Taken aback (I thought I couldn’t sing) but encouraged, I commit to daily singing AND guitar practice… and that changed everything for me.
Suddenly, there is purpose to my guitar playing. I start learning That’s Entertainment off by heart. By April 2020, I’ve recorded myself performing it to camera in my kitchen and share it on Facebook, receiving surprisingly positive feedback.This inspired me to learn more songs and 14 months later I perform in public for the first time – busking on Henley Street, raising money for Ambulance Aid. Before long, I’m fundraising at OpenMics and earning donations through paid gigs. And then I started sharing my journey on TikTok, YouTube and my social media channels and developed my #HumanJukebox act – playing songs from my busking setlist (mainly rock, pop, and indie from the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s, with a mix of older and more modern classics too) on request, in exchange for donations. Follow my journey on JustGiving (#Donate60) and TikTok (@markjeffsmusic)
Media
Gallery
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Follow
Me
Keep in touch with all my news by following my social media accounts and online community platform profiles on Facebook, Instagram, Ultimate-Guitar.com and Busk.co. and subscribe to my YouTube and TikTok channels to get notifications regards new video content as soon as it becomes available.
Free Video &
Tutorial Download
Sign up here to see an example song tutorial and demo video plus a link to a companion “One Page Song” arrangement sheet for you to download free of charge.
Support Me
If you appreciate my free performance demos, song tutorials or other content I’ve created and want to support me by tipping me (like you would a live busker!), you can do so safely and securely by visiting my Busk.co profile page.
Blog
You can find all the demos, tutorials and teaching aids relating to my acoustic song arrangements and all my training and development programmes on my Blog page.
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Training Programmes
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