Mark Giaconia served in the 10th Special Forces Group and saw action in Iraq during the 2003 invasion. It was an experience that shaped much of his life moving forward.
A musician and metal fan, Giaconia recently released his first EP titled Firefight. Connecting Vets asked him about his music and how it was inspired by his time in uniform.
What is your background with music? What instruments do you play, and did you have any previous experience with recording?
I've been playing guitar my entire life. I studied it starting at about age 8, and have pretty deep technical knowledge of music theory, scales, etc. I even brought my guitar to all deployments in SF except for Iraq. I play Traditional flamenco and Metal Shred, and also Bass. I tinkered with recording back in the Analog days but never got deep into the production side of things. In the last year, I dove deep on mixing, specifically for guitar music, via mostly Youtube videos.
How did your military experience impact your music?
My military experience I guess really colors my whole perception of life, so I like to try and capture the emotion of those experiences, some scary, some exhilarating, in my songs. I encourage vets who listen to my songs to imagine some aspect of their military life and think of the song as a sort of narrator to those memories. For instance, Peaceful Valor reminds me of life in the team room, or in a platoon, and the joy of being on a team.
Were there any specific inspirations behind some of the tracks on your EP?
The biggest inspiration is really being alive. I fought in a war, like many other vets, and the way I look at it is that since I'm alive, and I can jam, why not produce music? I also have this guy I work with who is a great musician, and he really encouraged me to go for it.
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As for specific songs, each has its own story. "Ode to the GWOT" is really a tribute to those who fought in the GWOT, with critical (and now maybe ironic?) snippets from former presidents. "Peaceful valor" is about the triumphs we have as soldiers, and units, and teams, and people. Firefight is designed to make you feel the chaos and intensity of an actual firefight, with its machine gun-like drums and picking, but also those moments in battle where you break through difficulties and overcome.
Reconquest is an interesting one, where I blend traditional flamenco into Metal and shredding, and for that one it makes me think about places I've been that have been conquered or reconquered. And the Spanish guitar also ties into the historical Spanish Reconquest.
Are there any collaborations on this EP, or did you manage it all on your own?
I play everything, but the rhythm guitar track behind the shredding in the song FireFight was actually invented by a guy I work with named Paul Makarov, who is an amazing musician in general. But other than his input on that song, I did it all, including the mixing.
Any future projects we can look forward to?
I will be releasing subsequent songs periodically, in fact, a new song called "Nec Aspera Terrent" will be available soon. "Nec Aspera Terrent" is the motto of the 27th Infantry Wolfhounds, which was my first unit in the military. Lots of shredding in that one, with a pretty hard rock groove.
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Giaconia's EP can be found on Apple or wherever else people buy music nowadays. Giaconia is also the author of One Green Beret, his memoir in which he details his team's infiltration into Northern Iraq ahead of the 2003 invasion as well as his team's joint operation with Russian Spetsnaz in Kosovo. Both are highly recommended!
Want to get more connected to the stories and resources Connecting Vets has to offer? Click here to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Reach Jack Murphy: jack@connectingvets.com or @JackMurphyRGR.
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