Walk into any open mic in Orange these days and you’re likely to find drummer and percussionist Mark Welch either on stage, behind the scenes, or encouraging someone else to have a go. For Welch, music isn’t about ego or fame – it’s about community, connection, and making sure no one misses the chance to join in. His motto is simple: “Get off the couch and don’t miss out.”

Welch’s story begins in Sydney’s inner west, in a home where music was always on the turntable. Santana, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, Led Zeppelin – the soundtrack of his childhood was a heady mix of funk, soul, rock, and Latin grooves. His father Rosco was a drummer who loved Cuban music, while Spanish-speaking neighbours introduced the family to Chilean New Year parties, bongos, and a culture that lived and breathed rhythm.

“I used to sleep in the bass drum case,” Welch recalls with a laugh. With the wonderfully named Original Sweaty Palms Orchestra, his father dragged him along to gigs in King’s Cross, jazz sessions at The Basement, even ABC television spots. That immersion in percussion set the tone for his life.

Although he didn’t take music as a subject at school, he says it was learned by osmosis.

As a young man in the 1980s, Welch played in countless Sydney bands, from original outfits like Clock Struck One to Australian Made, a covers act that toured widely. Back then, Orange was a dot on the map to speed past: “We used to drive through because there was nothing here,” he says. “We’d play at Lithgow Workies, Mitchell College (now CSU) at Bathurst, and Parkes RSL, but Orange had no real scene.”

That perspective makes the present transformation even more striking. Today, open mic nights are so popular that organisers run out of slots for eager performers. “The last one we had six drummers and four bands,” says Welch, the president of Jam Orange, who’s been here for 20-plus years now after a work-based transfer and Sydney housing prices forced him to move west. “It’s become a real pathway – people come, play a short set, get noticed, and then move onto bigger gigs. That just didn’t exist 20 years ago.”

Music also runs through the next generations of his family. His wife is a singer he met in a band, his daughter is a vocalist turned journalist, and his son is a drummer. Together with his late father, they launched Welch’s Fun with Drums, a community project that took percussion into parks, community halls, and anywhere people would gather. “We’d just set up, hand out drums, and get people playing,” he explains. “It didn’t matter if you were trained or not. If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got rhythm.”

That ethos – music as something to share freely – continues to guide him. For more than a decade, Welch volunteered at PCYC in Orange, running drum programs for young players (in addition to teaching drums at the conservatorium). He’s also thrown his energy into Jam Orange, a not-for-profit organisation that creates opportunities for emerging musicians. From jazz festivals and songwriting workshops to community concerts and open mics, Jam Orange has become a cornerstone of the city’s cultural life.

“It’s about providing opportunities for others,” he insists. “Some people just want to dust off their chops after years away, some want to get serious about performing. We give them a space.”

While rooted in Orange, Welch’s musical heart still beats to global rhythms. Influenced by the Latin grooves his father adored and the African polyrhythms he discovered later, he believes percussion is universal. “Western music is often structured, four-four, predictable, uptight,” he explains. “African and Latin rhythms are freer, more chaotic, but that’s the beauty. They make you feel something deeper.”

This November, he’ll be part of a Santana tribute show at The Agrestic Grocer, complete with brass section and multiple percussionists. It’s exactly the kind of adventurous programming he believes audiences deserve. “People like to hear songs they know, but we’ve got to challenge them, too. Orange is ready for it.”

Looking back, Welch marvels at how much has changed since those days of driving straight past Orange. The city now boasts a hybrid scene: traditional pubs booking soloists, but also ticketed concerts, original bands, and flourishing open mics. “It’s taken time,” he says. “When I first got here it was cliquey and underground. Now, with Jam and all these venues, the phone doesn’t stop ringing. I’m at capacity.”

Yet he isn’t possessive about the limelight. At a recent open mic he set up his drum kit but never played. “There were enough drummers,” he says with pride. “That’s what it’s about – making myself redundant because others are stepping up. The scene is stronger when everyone has a chance.”

At 61, Mark Welch could be forgiven for stepping back. Instead, he throws himself into rehearsals, teaching, organising, and performing – to keep music alive for the next wave. “My old man used to say music is a community service in itself,” he reflects. “I’ve carried that with me.”

And he’s not slowing down. Whether it’s a drum circle in the park, a packed open mic at the Vic, or a full-band Latin showcase, he’s there, urging people to join in. “Get off the couch and don’t miss out,” he repeats. That’s more than a motto – it’s an invitation.

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