Mark Boerebach
Mark Boerebach is an Australian savant, able to recall Australian music chart top hits from the 1970s and 1980s.
Personal life[edit]
Boerebach was born blind and diagnosed with Asperger syndrome as a child.[1][2] Prior to entering school, he underwent a series of operations which restored 20% of his eyesight, although he is blind in one eye.[1][3] His condition made it difficult for him to socialize at school,[1][4] but despite the difficulties he encountered, Boerebach has completed five TAFE music business courses.[2][5] He lives in Sydney, Australia.
Career[edit]
Boerebach founded an Internet radio station called 2PR FM based in Sydney which plays continuous 1970s and 1980s pop music.[2][6] [7] He has been described as having the ability to instantly list all the songs on a particular chart from any given week in the 1980s and is able to recall roughly 15 years of Australian music chart top hits,[8][9] an ability that has been reported as one result of his Asperger syndrome.[10] One of Boerebach's teachers at TAFE, Russell Kilby, contacted him after reading about him in local papers, and encouraged him to try out for the RocKwiz television show.[11] Fellow students helped raise funds for the trip to Melbourne to try out for the show, and after passing the public eliminations at St Kilda's Espy,[11] and meeting with Glenn Baker, the three-time winner of the BBC's Rock Brain of the Universe,[12] he appeared on the television game-show "RocKwiz".[2][5][10] A documentary of his preparations for and appearance on the game show was aired under the name Rainman goes to RocKwiz[8][10] and was shown at the Anchorage International Film Festival in 2010.[13] In 2011, the documentary won an Aloha Accolade at the Hololulu Films Awards.[14]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Rainman Goes To RocKwiz". Inside Australia. SBS. 10 October 2008. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ a b c d Molloy, Fran. "Rainman goes to RocKwiz". Think Big.
- ^ Butler, Dianne (21 October 2008). "Rainman character central to pleasant RockKwiz spin-off". Courier Mail.
- ^ Field, Deborah. ""We need work," says music man". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011.
- ^ a b Molitorisz, Sacha (16 October 2008). "Long way to the top". The Age. Fairfax Digital. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ ZD Net News: Blind Music Whiz Starts Radio Site
- ^ Penrith Press: Blind DJ Announces Plans for New Web Station
- ^ a b Molitorisz, Sacha (20 October 2008). "The wizard of Oz rock". Sydney Morning Herald.
- ^ Field, Deborah (18 July 2008). "Recall puts Mark ahead in music". St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ a b c "Shire's Rainman ready to shine tonight". St. George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Fairfax Media. 22 October 2008. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
- ^ a b Galer, Kit (22 October 2008). "Memory man all ready to rock". Herald Sun. p. 51.
- ^ Boonhis, Cameron (21 October 2008). "Mark all set to star on RockWiz". Centralian Advocate. p. 20.
- ^ "Anchorage International Film Festival 2010: Rainman Goes to RocKwiz". Archived from the original on 8 July 2011.
- ^ "2011 Aloha Accolade Winners". Archived from the original on 3 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011.