Mark Saunders

I have a copy of the Picasso painting, The Old Guitarist. It has meaning to me. It represents my life long passion and pursuit of music. I started early in life with piano lessons, switched in middle school to guitar and continued in higher education with numerous musical classes and pursuits. Love of music is something not just for me, but something I want to pass on to my kids and share with my family and friends.

My father had an extensive album collection from the 1970s. He taught me to properly care for the albums and appreciate them. It was a privilege to be able to play his albums and take care of his records. From early on, my 2nd grade teacher asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up. I wrote that I wanted to be a DJ. I used to create cassette tape after cassette tape of playlists and song inspirations. I would spend hours upon hours sitting by the radio waiting for the right song to come on. I also spent much time listening to songs over and over again, learning how to play guitar solos by ear.

I have played in performing bands and recorded my own music. I have a cacophony of instruments, speakers and music recording equipment. In college as an electrical engineer, I took numerous music electives and would adapt projects to exploring items like digital signal processing and the creation of music effects boxes. My first career thoughts out of college included an application to the Peavey Amplifier company. That did not materialize, but at Ford Motor Company, I initiated and explored a project to dynamically adapt music sound levels based on ambient car noise and speed.

I am ready for my next career chapter. Working at Spotify would be a dream job. It is a natural fit with my technical career and musical passions. I am a humble engineer with a growth mindset. I am excited to work and contribute alongside talented individuals. My personal satisfaction is seeing others grow and achieving team goals. I am happiest working directly with a team on designs and being in the code. The best way to grow is by practicing my craft daily. I am the person that will catch marbles falling off the table and make sure the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed. I will work within a team, but also reach out across teams to stakeholders and understand engineering solutions across perspectives. It would be fantastic to be part of and grow with the Spotify family.