Mark Cook, born in Louisiana and reared in Arkansas, has three brothers (two of them ministers) and two sisters, and is the son of a Southern Baptist Minister. He began playing the piano at the age of 5 and became the organist of his father's church at the age of 14.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Sacred Music/Organ from Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport, LA, and a Master of Music in Organ from Rice University, Houston, TX. He studied organ with William Teague and Clyde Holloway, piano with Constance Knox Carroll and Donald Rupert, and voice with Gale Odom and William Riley. 

He has toured the United States and Europe as a soloist and accompanist and has had the opportunity to play concerts in noted churches such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris; Wesley Chapel, London; St. Peter's, The Vatican; and St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York. Also, Mark has served as accompanist for a vocal studio at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.  

Mark has served as organist or organist/choir master in churches in Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and New Jersey, including First United Methodist Church, Houston and St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Shreveport, LA. He fell in love with the New York/New Jersey area in the mid-80s, when the former Orbach's Department Store on 34th Street in New York placed a piano in their front window and hired him to play music for two weeks at the Christmas season for several years. Finally, in the early 90s, Mark made his move to the Northeast, first to Hoboken and for the last seven years at the Jersey Shore.