As Director of Modern Music, Mark Murphree can most-often be found behind a keyboard on stage in the Fellowship Hall. He has been quietly offering his talent to Pittman Park since 1992, most recently mentoring a rotation of musicians in the contemporary service. Over the decades, he has also served as pianist and music director for the traditional service.
We asked Mark a few questions to get to know him a little better.
What is your favorite thing about working at Pittman Park?
I love giving others the chance to lead worship through music such as singing in the choir, ringing handbells, playing instruments. It’s thrilling to see some of them move on to other music leadership opportunities outside of Pittman Park.
What other jobs have you had outside Pittman Park?
When my family moved to Statesboro in July of 1992, I worked for Grinnell Corporation as a valve design engineer. In January of 1994, I started my career as an airframe structures engineer at Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, and I’ve been there ever since.
What did you want to do for a job when you were a child?
As a child, I was intrigued by my grandfather Murphree’s job as an engineer. He was already retired by the time I was aware of those things, but he had such a sharp mind and keen sense of wit about him, I was drawn to consider what it would be like for me to follow that path.
What is your superpower?
I like a good plan of action or punch list to get things done. It’s my way of managing projects that might appear to be a bit intimidating.