matthew

My friend & ex-band mate Matthew is currently transitioning from VT to Eastern MA. He called, then stopped stopped in last week ... I hadn't seen him in years ... and asked to store some stuff here. Along with a few boxes & a couple of suitcases, Matthew left his guitar.

My love of music can be traced back to the first year of my life. It is written in my baby book. Proof positive. Eventually grabbing hold of a guitar at age 12, and learning some, and playing John Denver & dreaming of Donny Osmond ... the musical dreams fade but never really go away.

Then I am in my 30's. In love with a local musician. I am taught a bit more - I have access to this wonderful guitar. I learn.

Then a friend from work says "Hey! lets play ... I know a guy..." So Jay, Barb & Matthew form a band which had potential, but overall -- we sucked. The guys drank alcohol too much. Jay can't sing at all but insisted. We all wrote good songs, but Matthew has real songwriting ability... but his English skills are a bit ... different. I wanted to sing so badly that I couldn't hear myself singing slightly off key - ever - till now. I was never a great guitarist. I had to work really really hard, just to be able to pass as OK. Jayson had a girlfriend, Tabitha, who we referred to as Satan... she called 5 times every practice, to bitch at him for no apparent reason. He had the patience of a saint. Matt had drug issues & often times blew us off when it was time to load up the van & set up -- he'd show up just in time to sing in his drug-induced haze... he was still captivating.

PART 2 - MATTHEW EXPLAINS THE PAIN BEHIND THE SONG.

Matthew left the band many times. Rehab, joined the Navy, tramped around NYC to try acting ... rehab, rehab, rehab. Last week he calls & says he's not drinking, totally clean, not even smoking cigarettes. Has new songs. Come on over Matt! Play for me! (I love love love listening to this man sing - he has this voice that is so wonderful... it's hard to describe other than to say, I wish it was mine). But he too, is inflicted with shyness. Gotta let loose - gotta let go.

So he stops in. Drops stuff off to store here. And leaves his guitar.

I haven't played in a couple of years. Since I sold all of my stuff in order to fund other projects. God, it feels good holding that thing in my arms.

I do still love music.