Mark Shiner is a drummer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter whose career spans more than forty years of live performance, recording, and teaching. Equally at home in jazz clubs, theaters, churches, and studios, he has built a reputation as a sensitive, versatile player with a deep feel for time and ensemble interaction.

Over the course of his career, Shiner has performed with a wide range of artists, including jazz figures such as Rossano Sportiello, Giacomo Gates, and Denis DiBlasio, as well as popular acts and entertainers including Kirk Franklin, Vince Giordano, Joe Piscopo, The Tokens, and Danny and the Juniors. His work has taken him from small jazz venues to major theatrical stages and touring productions.

As a theater musician, he has performed for numerous productions at Syracuse Stage, The REV Theatre Company(formerly Merry-Go-Round Playhouse), Syracuse University Drama, and Colgate University, with credits including Chicago, Ragtime, Evita, Camelot, West Side Story, Into the Woods, and The Threepenny Opera.

Shiner has also been a longtime presence in the regional music scene, performing with ensembles such as the Bearcat Jass Band, Bernie Clarke and the Rhythm Sharks, the Ronnie Leigh Quartet, and the ESP Jazz group, as well as leading his own projects in jazz, rock, and improvised music.

In addition to his performing career, Shiner studied at Berklee College of Music and has spent more than two decades teaching and mentoring college students. He has worked extensively with the Colgate University Jazz Ensemble, the Sojourners Gospel Choir, and numerous campus music initiatives, while maintaining an active schedule as a private instructor.

Alongside his work as a drummer, Shiner writes and records original music. His songwriting appears under the name National Endowment, while his more exploratory work is released through the improvising ensemble Society of the Universal Friend. His recordings include work with Deviant Monday, Bernie Clarke and the Rhythm Sharks, Tom Townsley, and others, with new releases scheduled for 2026.

Whether performing straight-ahead jazz, playing in the pit for a musical, or recording new original material, Shiner brings the same sensibility to every setting: a commitment to feel, clarity, and honest musical expression.