Mark Roofe is a producer, engineer, and musician, based in South Florida.

​

Mark moved to Chicago from his native Jamaica when he was seven years old.  He grew up listening to a diverse mix of music, including Reggae and Latin.  He often stayed glued to the television when shows like The Partridge Family, American Bandstand, and Soul Train were on, playing his tennis-racket-air-guitar while jamming with the performers on the screen.  When he was eleven, his Dad bought him an actual bass guitar, and thus began his love-affair with music.

​

Mark went to Chicago Vocational School (CVS), where he majored in orchestra, playing electric and upright bass, and violin.  He spent about as much time gig’ing around Chicago as he did in class, playing electric bass regularly with house music band, Jessie’s Gang, the first house music artist to record on vinyl, rather than only on reel-to-reel tapes.  He was also fortunate enough to play occasionally behind Chaka Khan and on the Lou Rawls Parade of Stars Telethon. The new age sound of synthesizer and keyboards creating a mixture of effect and melody in the mid 70's to 80's, lead Mark to also learn the keyboard.  After high school, his passion and interest continued to grow, leading him to take a MIDI production class at Columbia College in Chicago.    

​

One day around 1986, Mark got a call from Music Specialists/Jam Packed Records, a record company in Miami which owned its own recording studio, asking him to come to Miami to produce a track.  Mark ended up moving to Miami permanently and becoming both and A&R executive for the label, and engineer for their studio.  Some of his most notable credits from his time with Music Specialists include writing, producing and engineering “Tenderness” by Patti Curry, and mixing the freestyle hit “Diamond Girl” by Nice & Wild, the John Mennis version. 

  

Around 1988, Mark was invited by entrepreneur David Hyatt to join his team in launching a new label called Tavdash Records.  The new position included designing and building a new multi-million dollar recording studio, and serving as Vice President of Production.  Tavdash signed an up-and-coming R&B group called R. Kelly and MGM, and released the hit single Why You Wanna Play Me.  Tavdash later sold the group’s contract to Jive Records, and R. Kelly went on to be, arguably, one of the most successful R&B artists of all time. 

​

After leaving Tavdash, Mark worked as an independent producer and remixer for a period of time before starting his own commercial recording studio in 2001, M5 Studios, based in downtown Miami.  Top artists such as Janet Jackson, No Mercy, and Pit Bull recorded at M5.   Needing a chance of pace, Mark sold the company in late 2004, and took some time to pursue some non-music-related career interests.  But, as often happens with those who try to step away from the music industry, he couldn’t stay away long, and shortly thereafter, established M5 Media Group as a music and television production company.

​

Mark has been a member of The Recording Academy, Florida Chapter, Producers & Engineers Wing; has spoken at numerous industry events; has spent time tutoring music production students from the University of Miami and SAE; and has amassed an impressive discography over his years in the industry.  Most recently he is producing two albums, one for R&B singer Aaron SIm and one for Gospel singer Tylisha.  He believes strongly that music should take you on a journey,  and he is excited about where the music he is working on today is taking him.