MarKat is Darryl and Valencia Singleton! They are a Spoken Word/Music duo from Houston Texas. "Mr. D" has been involved in music all of his life having taken his first music lesson at 6 years old on the piano. He quickly found his passion in percussion and has been making and/or teaching music ever since. He studied music at Howard University and Florida State University earning his bachelor's and master's degrees, respectively. He has a varied background and has performed with (to name a few) Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Holiday, Phyllis Hyman, the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, and Le Quatre percussion quartet. He's been on the faculties of University of the District of Columbia, Duke Ellington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (Washington, D.C.), Grambling State University, and Texas Southern University where he is presently Associate Director of Bands and Instructor of Percussion. "V. Kay" is a Fort Worth Native who, while always interested in music, had expressed herself only by singing in choir until the day her husband asked her to recite poetry while he accompanied her on the marimba. (Quite and Extremely!) Reluctant at first, she decided if anyone was going to spend one on one rehearsal time with her husband, it was going to be her! The first time they presented, they were asked by an artist, Falu Phalu, to be a part of his then upcoming CD release concert for his second offering, "The Snowflake In May." In thinking about that time, Valencia remarked: "My experience with MarKat has been joyful yet challenging for me. This experience has stretched me until it hurt; it has moved me into a new territory for my life. The first time I stepped out on that stage with lights, camera, and an audience, I had to ask myself, "What are you doing? This is for 'professional people', not you!" But as soon as I opened my mouth, all of the questions stopped and it was as if I'd been doing this all my life. I'm excited to see where all 'this' goes- but right now and to the end...my hands are in my Heavenly Father's HANDS! Thank you LORD!" "The poetry MarKat presents is the result of inspiration from the Holy Spirit." D has always been creative. He has written music in various traditional and contemporary genres including jazz, classical, rap, and R&B. He has also written various plays and musicals for schools and churches. In all of this he had never been 'poetically inclined' nor considered himself a 'poet'. D penned his first poem "Evolution" in 1992 and didn't write his next, "I See The Spirit Moving" until 2006. Somewhere in late 2010 his prayer time now and again began to result in reflective poetry. He just wrote it down (actually, typed it in his phone!) and didn't think too much more about it. In early 2011, a former student from Grambling State University, looking for someone else on Texas Southern University's website, stumbled across his name and contacted him about a Spoken Word event she was organizing at her church. She encouraged him to bring his work and he "encouraged" his wife to join in. MarKat was born! The eclectic musical tastes of "Mr. D" have become a unique element of MarKat. "I See the Spirit Moving" (not on this album...sorry!) was the inspiration for the first contemporary classical marimba solo composed by D. "A.M" ("A.M." is on "Angels Are Busy"!) features a beautifully serene and prayerful original marimba piece entitled "Intimidad" ("Intimacy"). "Angels Are Busy" (title track!) features D on the drumset in a sometimes frenetic interplay with Valencia's insightful delivery. the sticks used are Pro-Mark 'Hot Rods' which produce a less articulate sound than regular drumsticks. Unusually, the music for this came before the poem. One morning, D was playing drums for what he calls the "Audience of One" (God!). Imagining all the spiritual activity that could be going on beyond our field of natural vision inspired a rhythmic concept that was followed by a completed word piece later the next day. "You Can't Stop This" and "Moving Up" were both the product of 'venting' to God about things (read: people) that seemed to be standing in the way of Darryl getting some things done. They are set to a piece called "B.F." for 'Be Funky'. The song "Hang Wit' Me" was purposely written in odd meters (the verse is in 7/8 and the hook is in 3/4) to reflect and emphasize the idea of hanging on to truth through the maze of ideas, pitfalls, and traps that would keep us from arriving at the feet of Jesus. The hook and bridge are sung by Tamra Garrett and Silas Latoison, two up and coming voices from Texas Southern University who are equally at home in the jazz, gospel, r&b, and classical genres. "Take It By Force" is a response to challenges presented to the congregation at Encourager Church in Houston, which has experienced a revival in awareness of God's Kingdom on earth. "She Hurts" (not listed on the physical cd where it appears as a 'bonus track') was penned in something of an eerie moment when D was considering some of the women his wife has ministered to over the years and how Valencia might see the women through her eyes. The accompanying instrument is a 'kalimba' and the music was composed for this poem. As long as there is a place to 'spit' the Word inspired words (and God keeps the words coming), MarKat will present! Look for another set of word and music offerings in the summer of 2012!