Who was Mark Rubel? Tributes pour in as music industry pioneer and sound engineer passes away

Well-known sound engineer Mark Rubel has unexpectedly died on March 9, 2024. The cause of death is yet to be made official, and he was employed at The Blackbird Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, as per The News-Gazette. The news was confirmed by his sister Sasha.

Sasha shared a post through his official Facebook page, and it reads in part:

"Please know we hold you all in our hearts, and that Mark's love of music, teaching, his students, the extended music community and his dear family (his nieces and me) lives on. He had a great love for people, and Nancy most of all."

Apart from Blackbird Academy, Rubel has been involved with Pogo Studio since the 80s and has had a lot of clients, such as Alison Krauss, Jay Bennett, and more.

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Mark Rubel gained recognition for his work as an audio engineer: Career and other details

In an interview with Blackbird Academy, Mark Rubel said he began working with audio equipment when he was 12. He enrolled at the University of Illinois and later launched Pogo Studio in collaboration with some of his friends.

He said that the studio has undergone a lot of changes over the years and added:

"We are in the same studio, so this is our 36th year! It started in a little ramshackle house in Urbana, Illinois, and then it moved into a warehouse building in downtown Champaign, IL, where it remained until 2013. At that time, I moved to Nashville to start The Blackbird Academy."

While his work at the Blackbird Academy made him famous, he joined a band called Captain Rat and the Blind Rivets, where he was a bass guitarist. Before his career as a sound engineer, he served as a reporter for publications such as The Courier.

The News-Gazette states that students from Parkland College come to his studio for music recording classes. Furthermore, he was a music technology teacher and took courses related to jazz and rock and roll at Eastern Illinois University. To provide a better understanding of the course, he formed a group of C-U musicians.

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Netizens pay tribute to Mark Rubel on social media platforms

The public praised Mark Rubel's work in sound over the years. His followers took to different social media platforms to express their grief over his sudden demise:

In his interview with the Blackbird Academy, he said he loves their ethics since they emphasize "theoretical information and application." He said he links the "studio theory" with real-life examples and stories about history, music, and more while teaching his students.

As of this writing, detailed information on Mark's survivors remains unknown. He had a Facebook page where he frequently shared posts related to his work.