Web Design, Social Media, Audio/Video Professional and Musician with 20+ Years Experience in Design, Production and Marketing

Hi! I’m Brad Vander Ark, Owner of Distant Bird Media.

Way back in 1992 I founded The Verve Pipe with my brother Brian Vander Ark. Around that time, I started learning how to to use design software, including Corel Draw and Photoshop.

I used this knowledge in compiling the cover art and packaging for our two independent album releases, which sold over 40,000 copies. These sales caught the attention of major record labels, and in 1995 we signed a deal with RCA.
Our debut album on RCA, Villains, sold over 1 million copies and included the number one Top 40 hit, The Freshmen. After four years of touring relentlessly, I moved to New York City, and began working with local bands, musicians, actors and comedians there.

The one common thread with all of these artists is that, with the emergence of the internet, they all needed websites. So I learned HTML and Flash, and began designing websites, logos, and album packaging for friends and associates.
In 2004, I moved back home to Spring Lake, Michigan, and began working with Ian Lawton and Soulseeds. Over the next 10 years I began working with database-driven content using PHP/MySQL and DHTML. During this time, Ian and I began our venture into Social Media Management.

I recently launched Distant Bird Media, and have now focused my efforts on growing the social media presence of small businesses, using the network that Ian and I built, and the knowledge I have gained through my 20 years experience as a musician, graphic designer, webmaster, and social media marketer.

Work Terms

Hourly or Per-project fees.