At 58, Mark Ballesi stands tall in the local bluegrass community. His world is filled with music and with the aid of wife, Shooshi, and another bluegrass music talent, Bruce Fumini, they bring the world of bluegrass to Thirroul. The Railway Institute is amazingly transformed from Labor’s past to bluegrass pick.
It is an amazing cycle of camaraderie and hard work. Mark began as a musician in regional Wagga Wagga, busking at markets and joining art-school bands. Beginning with an acoustic guitar, he then developed a passion for the electric guitar. “I learned on the job in pubs and Wagga was a great place to start because it was a smaller pond and offered great opportunities from the university audiences. Ska was actually my preferred sound at the time, but bluegrass has become my passion.” Mark still displays the youthful enthusiasm and an enormous charm that goes with a lifetime of performance art. In 1986 Mark came to Austinmer, after travelling overseas.
“I recorded in a Port Kembla studio and continued to perform in various bands and at folk festivals. I met Quentin Fraser and entered the multi-instrumental genre and the dobro slide guitar, and continued to play blues and jazz. It was here I moved into the wider bluegrass community, even making instruments with Bruce Fumini and Ray Marshall. We mentored each other really, but I am very proud to admit that some of those instruments I made are still in use by other musicians. The craftsmanship of the instruments is an important study for me too.
“My focus has changed over the years, I am still learning about bluegrass, that will remain a lifetime passion, I’m sure, learning new skills and new tunes, enjoying singing and harmonies and feeling the magic of those vocal harmonies. I also really enjoy the energising force as audiences respond as well.” Mark says the changes are important. “It is a small community and many of us reconfigure into different groups, and bands come and go over time, but relationships continue and at various blue-grass festivals we meet up from all over the country.”
Mark works with John Gallagher, a Sydney promoter of overseas touring groups, mainly from the US and Thirroul becomes part of those tours. “The Thirroul Pick began in 2006 at The Illawarra Folk Festival and a short jam has morphed into a regular community jam with regulars and ‘joiners’. It was an idea waiting to happen. We are very pleased with the growing support we are receiving.”
It all began with a magnificent pick with Mike Compton, an American bluegrass mandolin player and former protégé of Bill Munroe, often known as “the Father of Bluegrass” at Anita’s Theatre, but the Railway Institute has become the base. Featured bands include The Butcher Boys, The Company, The Flats and Sharps from Cornwall, The Western Flyers, and The Sonoran Dogs, to name a few. “The Railway Institute is a wonderful location and has offered a measure of success for us.
“The hard work of Bruce and Shooshi and others all pays off on the night of performance and the jams often explode the small venue with classic bluegrass pick. We hope to restart as soon as possible when COVID restrictions ease.” Mark may be a reluctant promoter but he does enjoy every experience, and appreciates the audiences.
“The playing of bluegrass, the harmonies, the camaraderie and relationships developed are all wonderful but it is the audiences who react with such enthusiasm and complete joy that is an honour in my work for the community. They really are joyous occasions for us all.”
Hopefully, the bluegrass community will resurrect in performance with or without the overseas drawcards. There is certainly enough talent to display at The Railway Institute in our own local community for us all to enjoy.