生於雨港—人格養成與教育 Born in the Rainy Harbor — Character Formation and Education
1939 年 7 月 17 日，馬水龍出生於基隆的蚵殼港(今安樂區)，母親馬查某是獨生女，從母姓，父親許阿枝是兼治療傷科的傳統漢藥仙。馬水龍有三個 姐姐、一個妹妹。他幼時基隆遭盟軍轟炸，隨家人避居九份，煙雨迷濛的山居 生活和流連於八斗子海邊的嬉戲，成為他兒時的生活印記。父親心地善良，對貧困的病患常常分文不取，甚至收留患者為其調養，直到痊癒為止。這個經驗在馬水龍心底烙下了深刻的印象，也讓他無形中培養出扶弱濟貧的俠氣。
馬水龍高二時父親久病未癒，為了擔負家計不得不中輟學業。他在「臺肥一廠」的同事李哲洋(後為音樂教師/音樂期刊主編)啟發和協助下，激發了他的美術和音樂潛能。考上國立藝專(今臺灣藝術大學)後，為了學業和家計，他由日班轉到夜班，來回於基隆與板橋之間，日以繼夜地奔忙，苦讀學科、作曲、理論、鋼琴、大提琴等，他於1964年畢業。曾在成功嶺暑訓時，突發急性肝炎，差點丟了性命。
畢業之後，他任教於基隆四中(今中山高中)、臺南家專(今臺南應用科技大學)等校；另與陳懋良、游昌發、賴德和、沈錦堂、溫隆信等同儕組織了「向日葵樂會」，一起發表新作(1968-1971年間)，他的鋼琴曲《臺灣組曲》、《雨港素描》等都是在這段時間發表的。1969 年他與鋼琴家許子珍結為連理。
Ma Shui-Long was born on July 17, 1939, in Oke Harbor—today’s Anle District of Keelung. His mother, Ma Cha-Mu, an only child, passed on her surname to him. His father, Hsu A-Chih, was a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, specializing also in injury treatment. Ma was the only son among four siblings—he had three older sisters and one younger sister.
During World War II, Keelung was heavily bombed by Allied forces. To stay safe, the family took refuge in the misty mountain town of Jiufen. The shrouded hills and playful days spent by the rocky shores of Badouzi left a lasting impression on Ma’s early life. His father was a kind-hearted man who often treated poor patients without charge, even taking them into the household for recovery. These experiences instilled in Ma a deep sense of compassion and a chivalrous spirit of helping the weak and underprivileged.
In his second year of high school, Ma was forced to leave school due to his father's prolonged illness and the need to support the family. While working as a mechanical draftsman at Taiwan Fertilizer Co., Ltd. Factory 1, he was encouraged and guided by his colleague Lee Zhe-Yang—later a music educator and journal editor—who recognized his artistic and musical potential. Ma was soon admitted to the National Taiwan Academy of Arts (now National Taiwan University of Arts), where he studied composition, theory, piano, and cello with unrelenting dedication. To balance both studies and family responsibilities, he worked the night shift in Keelung and commuted daily to Banqiao for classes. He graduated in 1964. During a summer military training camp at Chengkungling, he collapsed from acute hepatitis, a life-threatening episode that nearly claimed his life.
After graduation, he taught at Keelung Municipal Fourth Junior High School (now Zhong Shan Senior High School) and later at Tainan Junior College of Home Economics (now Tainan University of Technology). Around the same time, he co-founded theSunflower Music Assembly (1968–1971) with fellow composers Chen Mao-Liang, Yu Chang-Fa, Lai Deh-Ho, Shen Chin-Tang, and Wen Lung-Hsin. Many of his early works—including Taiwan Suite for Piano and A Sketch of the Rainy Harbor—were premiered during this period. In 1969, Ma married pianist Hsu Tze-Jeng.
