Mark Wallace on Teaching, Music, Language and Building a Creative Life in Paris
What does it really take to build a meaningful life abroad?
For Mark Wallace, moving to Paris meant much more than changing countries. It required learning a new language, adapting to a different education system, rebuilding a professional career, rediscovering music, and learning to accept that starting over sometimes means temporarily moving backward.
In this episode of La Vie Creative, I sit down with Mark Wallace to talk about teaching in France, performing in bands across Paris, learning languages, creating a student rock band program, contributing to English textbooks, and the unexpected connection between music and language.
Mark’s story is especially valuable for anyone dreaming about moving to Paris or reinventing themselves abroad because he doesn’t romanticize the process.
Paris challenged him.
But those challenges ultimately helped him create a life filled with education, creativity, music, friendships and experiences he never could have predicted.
Why Mark Wallace Moved to Paris
Before Paris, Mark had already experienced living and working abroad in Spain.
That experience gave him a taste for travel and adventure.
When he and his partner decided they wanted another European experience, they applied for opportunities in both Granada and Paris.
Paris answered first.
And they went.
The move also presented Mark with a challenge he was actively looking for. He already spoke English and Spanish, but moving to France meant learning French from the beginning. Before leaving Connecticut, he started taking French classes after work and later completed summer sessions in France.
At the time, Mark was living in a peaceful Connecticut beach town.
Life was comfortable.
Maybe a little too comfortable.
Paris offered exactly what they were looking for: something new that would push them outside their familiar routines.
The Reality of Moving to Paris
Like many people who move to France, Mark quickly discovered that living in Paris is very different from visiting Paris.
One of his biggest realizations was simple:
France wasn’t going to adapt to him. He had to adapt to France.
Mark remembers initially arriving with expectations about how employment, administration and education should operate.
Eventually, he understood that he had chosen Paris.
Paris hadn’t recruited him.
That change in perspective helped him stop fighting against the system and begin figuring out how to work within it.
It’s an important lesson for anyone moving abroad.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t learning a new language.
It’s letting go of the expectation that your new country should function like your old one.
Teaching English in France
Mark eventually found his place within the French education system.
Today, teaching is one of the central parts of his life in Paris.
But an especially interesting opportunity emerged somewhat unexpectedly.
A colleague who worked on French educational textbooks originally invited Mark to record some English-language audio.
The reason?
He sounded like an ordinary American.
Not a voice actor.
Not an exaggerated textbook narrator.
Just a natural speaker.
That recording opportunity eventually connected Mark with textbook publishers, who discovered that his pedagogical background could contribute much more than voice recordings.
He was invited to write a test chapter.
That chapter eventually became work on six English textbooks and their accompanying teaching materials.
A Different Approach to Learning English
One thing Mark finds fascinating about language education in France is the emphasis on authentic documents.
Instead of creating artificially simple English texts for students, teachers often work with real-world materials that already exist in English.
Students then develop the skills necessary to understand them.
For Mark, creating textbook chapters became almost like being a museum curator.
He might receive a broad theme and then search for an interesting aspect of Anglophone culture that French students may not already know.
One example involved the relationship between private and public spaces and the changing role of women during Prohibition in the United States.
Students weren’t only learning English.
They were learning history, culture, vocabulary, grammar and critical thinking at the same time.
That’s one of the things Mark believes makes language learning much more effective.
Why Memorizing Vocabulary Isn’t Enough
Many of us remember learning languages by memorizing endless vocabulary lists.
Mark believes language acquisition works better when words are attached to situations and meaning.
Instead of memorizing hundreds of isolated words, he encourages learners to expose themselves repeatedly to real language.
Listen to French.
Read French.
Put yourself in situations where you have to figure out meaning from context.
And most importantly:
Speak.
Even if your French isn’t perfect.
Mark recommends finding language exchange partners and creating situations where you’re forced to use what you know.
He also sees enormous potential in using AI voice tools for conversational language practice.
A learner can ask an AI conversation partner to speak only in French, practice for 30 minutes, and then switch back to English for feedback on mistakes and areas for improvement.
For anyone trying to learn French before moving to Paris, that kind of accessible daily practice can make a huge difference.
Creating a Student Rock Band in Paris
Music has always been part of Mark’s life.
Growing up, he played in jazz groups, orchestras and other musical ensembles.
After teaching in France, he noticed something different about the French school system.
French students can have incredibly demanding academic schedules, sometimes stretching from morning until early evening.
While France has excellent conservatories, students who aren’t enrolled in specialized music programs don’t always have the same opportunities for school-based ensemble performances that many American students experience.
Mark saw an opening.
And he created one.
He launched a student rock band program at his school.
At first, he expected perhaps five or ten students to be interested.
Fifteen showed up to the first meeting.
Then the program grew to 25.
Eventually, around 30 students were participating.
They rehearsed weekly with strict expectations: students needed to learn their individual parts before rehearsal because rehearsal was for putting everything together.
By the end of the year, the students weren’t simply playing at school.
They had performed several concerts, including a public gig at a Paris music venue where they experienced sound checks, technical adjustments, mistakes, applause and everything that comes with performing in front of a real audience.
Why Applause Matters
Mark makes an interesting observation about creativity and education.
Young people need opportunities to experience achievement.
They need moments when they step onto a stage, perform something difficult and hear people applaud.
It sounds simple.
But that experience can create something incredibly important:
self-efficacy.
The feeling of:
I did something difficult.
I did it well.
I want to do it again.
Mark believes creative experiences can provide that kind of validation, especially for students who may not participate in conservatories or competitive sports.
And the success of the first student band has inspired him to make the program even bigger.
More concerts.
More organization.
More opportunities for students to perform.
Rediscovering Music After Moving Abroad
Interestingly, when Mark first moved to Paris, music almost disappeared from his life.
For approximately five years, he barely played.
The transition to France demanded so much energy that other parts of his identity were temporarily pushed aside.
He was navigating employment, teaching, language and the realities of beginning again professionally.
Eventually, however, he realized something was missing.
Music.
Mark began attending open mic nights.
Then he met musicians he connected with.
And that led to the creation of a band.
The Accents: Building a Band in Paris
Mark plays drums in The Accents, a Paris-based band whose members come from several English-speaking countries.
The name is perfect.
The members bring together accents from the United States, England, Wales and Australia.
But building the band required something Mark believes is essential to creativity:
systems.
The group decided they would rehearse every Tuesday for three hours.
Every week.
Not occasionally.
Not whenever everyone happened to be free.
Every week.
They also gave themselves homework and committed to building several hours of music before seriously pursuing performances.
Mark makes an important point here.
Creative ideas can disappear surprisingly quickly when the logistics become annoying.
Systems help protect creativity.
The structure of weekly rehearsals eventually paid off.
Once The Accents started accepting gigs, opportunities multiplied.
Their philosophy became simple:
Say yes.
Someone asks if they can play tomorrow?
Yes.
Someone needs a drummer?
Yes.
Another bar offers a gig?
Yes.
Eventually, Mark found himself playing live music almost every night of the week.
The Paris Music Scene
One thing many visitors and new residents may not realize is how accessible parts of the Paris live music scene can be.
Mark points to open jams throughout the city where musicians can watch a house band and then join in.
He plays in a Thursday night vocal jazz jam at Eurydice near Place de la Contrescarpe in the 5th arrondissement.
Musicians and singers can show up, listen and eventually jump in.
These environments can be especially valuable for expats because they create instant community around a shared interest.
You may not speak perfect French.
You may not understand every element of French bureaucracy.
But you can still play a song together.
The Connection Between Music and Language
Perhaps the most fascinating part of my conversation with Mark Wallace was his explanation of the similarities between learning language and learning music.
Both require two things:
structure and improvisation.
To play drums, you need beats, rhythms, fills and techniques.
But knowing those things individually doesn’t automatically make you a musician.
Eventually, you need to improvise and apply them inside an actual song.
Language works the same way.
You need nouns.
Verbs.
Expressions.
Verb tenses.
Transitions.
But memorizing grammar doesn’t make you fluent.
You have to take those building blocks into a real conversation and improvise with them.
As Mark explains, vocabulary and structures give us the tools.
Improvisation teaches us how to actually communicate.
It’s a beautiful way to think about learning almost anything.
We need technique.
But eventually, we also need the confidence to stop following the script.
Starting Over Abroad Can Feel Like Going Backward
Mark also speaks candidly about one of the most difficult realities of moving abroad.
You may lose status.
You may lose income.
You may lose convenience.
Before coming to France, Mark was already a certified teacher in the United States.
After arriving in Paris, he essentially started again at the bottom.
At one point, he was tutoring for €12.50 per hour, including weekends.
He remembers traveling through apartment buildings from student to student, occasionally having lessons canceled and finding himself stuck far from home with hours to kill before the next appointment.
Compare that with his life today.
He works with a major publishing company.
He teaches.
He performs music.
He runs a student band.
He has built friendships and creative communities.
The difficult early years didn’t mean the decision was wrong.
They were part of the investment.
Mark Wallace’s Advice for Moving Abroad
When I asked Mark what advice he would give someone thinking about moving abroad to pursue a passion, his answer was one of my favorite moments of the episode.
His philosophy comes down to a few ideas.
Smile. Be kind. Be curious. And be a good hang.
“Be a good hang” is a phrase musicians often use for someone people actually enjoy having around.
Talent matters.
Qualifications matter.
But relationships matter too.
People want to work with people they enjoy.
Mark also recommends bringing your hobbies back to life.
If you stopped playing music, start again.
If you love running, find a running group.
If you’re interested in fashion, photography, technology, sports or languages, pursue those interests.
Your hobbies may ultimately become the bridge connecting you to your new community.
They can lead to friendships, opportunities, travel, jobs and completely unexpected experiences.
Most importantly, Mark advises new expats to accept that there may be an initial decline.
Less money.
Less status.
Less familiarity.
Less convenience.
But that doesn’t mean you’re failing.
Sometimes you’re simply rebuilding.
Creativity Needs Community
One of the themes running throughout this conversation is the importance of community.
Music gave Mark community.
Teaching created community.
His student band created community.
Language created community.
Even casual friendships created connections that made Paris feel like home.
This may be one of the most overlooked parts of building a creative life abroad.
Success isn’t only about finding the perfect job.
It’s about finding your people.
Sometimes the original plan disappears completely.
And sometimes what replaces it is even better.
Connect With Mark Wallace
You can follow Mark Wallace on Instagram at @markjamesdrums.
You can also follow his band, The Accents, at @theaccents.band.
Mark performs regularly around Paris and welcomes connections with musicians, travelers, educators and people interested in building a life abroad.
