Mark Kreitzer<\/p>\n
Inducted 2025<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mark Kreitzer began playing music in kindergarten, taking piano lessons, though it could be said that having two musicians for parents, music was always part of his life. His two older brothers played folk music, which gave him opportunities to “borrow” their guitars when they were out of the house to teach himself Beatles songs. At O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, he performed with the liturgical music group. It was there that he met fellow students who played blues, Appalachian old-time, bluegrass & acoustic rock, and equally important, wrote their own songs. Mark played fiddle on Country-Rock legends The Red Willow Band’s self-titled album in 1976.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 After moving to Madison, Wisconsin, Mark added jazz to his interests, playing with other musicians who had come through the acoustic bluegrass world and discovered guitarist Django Reinhart and mandolinist Jacob do Bandolim. Kreitzer was also a Board Member and President of the Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mark eventually made it to Minneapolis, where he joined The Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA), again serving on the board and as President. A few years later, MBOTMA presented Mark, who is proficient on guitar, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, dobro, and almost anything else with strings, with its first Favorite Bluegrass Multi-Instrumentalist Award. The organization also presented him with its first Favorite Bluegrass Songwriter Award. As a member of The Middle Spunk Creek Boys, he was inducted into The Minnesota Rock and Country Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
\u00a0 Mark was honored to write the music and lyrics for The Minnesota Centennial Showboat musical Mark Twain\u2019s Mississippi<\/em>, based on Twain\u2019s book Life on the Mississippi<\/em>. Laurie Lewis captures Mark\u2019s writing with a simple statement: \u201cThis fellow has something to say.\u201d In addition to The Middle Spunk Creek Boys, Mark has performed with several other bands including Clearwater Hot Club, Mill City Hot Club, The Southside Aces, Cafe Accordion Orchestra, The High 48s, with Becky Schlegel and many more. Mark also leads his own band, aptly named The Mark Kreitzer Band, and plays solo gigs.<\/p>\n \u00a0 Mark is a music educator as well, having taught Guitar and Songwriting at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, and Guitar and American Folk Instruments at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. He is also a member of the O’Gorman High School Hall of Fame for Achievements in the Arts.<\/p>\n
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