On October 3rd, Musical Innovations (Greenville, SC) held a very special book signing event with Marcus Sikora.
Marcus is not your typical 25 year old – he has a flair for the creative. He has written and produced a one-act stage performance in cooperation with a local high school. He also played a walk-on cameo role in the Broadway touring production of Mary Poppins for one night during its time in Omaha, NE (Marcus’s home town). Among his favorite pastimes are watching Broadway musicals and eating peanut butter and jelly. Marcus also has Downs Syndrome. But that hasn’t stopped him from achieving something that would be impressive for any 25-year-old – he has just written his first book.
Black Day: The Monster Rock Band is a 40-page illustrated children’s book that tells the story of Brad, a paperboy who dreams of becoming a rock star. When Brad discovers the band “Black Day” — comprised entirely of monsters — rehearsing in an old garage, he approaches them and asks if he can become their new bass player. The monsters’ response is swift: “No humans!” So Brad sets out to change their minds. However, he realizes the “Black Day” bandmates have much bigger concerns on their minds.
“[Marcus] is an incredible storyteller with an imagination to be envied,” his mom Mardra Sikora says. She and her son worked on Black Day together, with Marcus Sikora dictating the story as his mom transcribed it. She adds, “Sometimes I’d ask ‘What’s next?’ or ‘Why?’ and Marcus would answer, ‘Stuck.’ ‘All right,’ I’d say, ‘We’ll come back to that.’ Then the next week, we’d pick it up again.”
Tracy Leenman, owner of Musical Innovations, states, Mardra’s name may be familiar to many members of the Music Industry. Until 2011 she was president of Progress Publications and Wright Printing (the “folder people”). Her grandfather, Bud Wright, founded Progress Publications and Mardra was the third-generation president of the company, until she retired to further pursue her own writing career and, as it turns out, become an active advocate for and with Marcus. I originally met Marcus at an NASMD Convention several years ago – he’s amazing and we had a wonderful time with Marcus and Mardra at our store. The children loved the book, and loved Marcus – and he loved them.
October is not only the month of Halloween (the best month for a Monster Rock Band), but is also Downs Syndrome Awareness Month. Downs is a common genetic condition involving the 21st chromosome. While there are physical characteristics common to people with Downs, every person with DS is unique. Marcus is an example of how different ability does not equal less ability, says Mardra. Yes, there are skills that come easier to others, but Marcus teaches those around him to celebrate every day, give compliments freely and follow your passion. Which in his case, is creating stories.
Musical Innovations, a South-Carolina based school music retailer, was recently named Top 100 Dealer of the Year by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM). For more information about this event, please contact Musical Innovations at 864-286-8742 or info@musicalinnovations.biz. You can also visit Musical Innovations’ Facebook page; or Mardra Sikora’s Facebook page, Grown Ups and Downs, or http://www.mardrasikora.com/events/. For more information about Marcus and his new book, please go to:
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)