Mark Schlesinger

  • Mark Schlesinger, President

    As a little kid, I learned to play the drums at Don Worth’s Drum Shop, now the site of “Big Pink” — the U.S. Bancorp Tower in southwest Portland. Sadly, in the Riverdale Grade School Summer Band, I never got past playing a drum pad, but I remember how much fun it was pretending to be Ringo Starr!  

    If you remember the movie “Jerry Maguire,” my favorite line is, “you had me at ‘hello!’” It was like that the first time I walked into Youth Music Project. I knew I wanted to be involved in helping kids have such a unique musical experience. The energy, the passion, the happiness I saw, felt, and experienced with the children was inspiring! I’m looking forward to serving on the Board, and I may just give drum lessons another try…

    Other Work:

    • Partner at Schlesinger Companies, a fourth-generation family real-estate development & management company based in Portland, Oregon.
    • Current Board member and mentor of a student for Marathon Scholar.
    • Former Board member and President of CASA for Children of Multnomah, Washington, & Columbia Counties.

  • We're passionate about music education

🎸Join us for our 2024 benefit concert & auction COUNTRY ROADS on Saturday, October 26! Learn more and buy tickets