Marek Sochacki

Born 9 June 1968 r. in Rybnik and still lives there.

Plays: drums- classical, conga, bongos, bells, maraca and other keyboard instruments.

Family: wife Beata (culture animator), son Mikołaj.

Hobby: music and movies.

Life’s success : family and playing for the “Carrantuohill”.

Life’s failure: unfinished musical education.

Role-model: a person who lives according to his or her personal beliefs and simultaneously is in an agreement with the common moral rules.

Marek is interested in music since childhood. He started playing drums when he was 13 as a self-taught. In primary school he was a member of a few teenage bands. While in the Vocational machanical school in Rybnik he was a member of groups like: “Van Guard”, “Johan Jacob”, “Ansax” playing rock music of the so called progressive trend, and after graduation he became a member of the “Pitzcaraldo” band. Since 1993 he was employed in a club called Energetyka in Rybnik as the drums instructor and as the instructor of the teenage band to finally become an acoustic. Marek was the initiator and the organizer of The drums workshop in Rybnik and many artistic events. As a culture animator he felt the need of a further education that’s why he began learning in the Krzysztof Komeda Private School of Popular Music in Warsaw, which gave him the overall basis of musical studies essential to further creative process. Marek was also the initiator of the ‘Red Label’ jazz formation which was quite recognizable in the jazz environment. In the summer of 1997 an offer to cooperate with Carrantuohill caused all his energy and musical creativity to shift towards Irish music. This cooperation continues to the present day. Five years ago he started his own sonorisation company and artistic agency. Four years ago he also started his own tea shop in Rybnik. His musical interests are not specified because he chooses music accordingly to his mood and the situation. He often uses that as an opportunity to get to know some new musical alternatives not only connected with the drums, which he gladly adopts to his way of playing. On joining the band Marek Sochacki brought in a great number of musical experience – from rock to jazz. Skillfully applying specific rhythmic patterns which are characteristic to jazz and rock. Marek introduced a certain vivacity not only on the sound level (new instruments: bongos, conga, kettledrums, snare drums) but more importantly on the level of clarity and emphasizing the rhythm.

Marek