This post, my first post, is about a divine messenger of strength, authenticity, and peace. This messenger also happens to be my husband, father to our almost 2 yr — old, and musician known as Mateyo. I have been privy to witness not only the inception and creation of ‘Bloom,’ but also the blooming of Mat as an artist in his own right. One day, on our drive down to Virginia Beach, Mat told me to open the Notes app on my phone because we were going to write a song together. With no experience in songwriting, he played the beat and asked me how it made me feel. He asked me to elaborate or summarize what I said and provided me with guidance on how to make my thoughts fit with the beat. I’ll never forget that ride down to the beach because we wrote ‘Optix’ together that day. To know Mateyo is to see the embodiment of all dreams coming together in the end if you work hard, practice patience, and trust the process.
Mat started playing drums at his church in New Rochelle, NY when he was only 9. His mom has shared multiple photos and stories about how he’d always be banging on some surface with his hands, utensils or anything else that remotely resembled drumsticks. I’m thinking it was because his synesthesia showed him the colors of the sounds he was making. Throughout his 20-year musical journey, he’s done everything from play in his high school jazz and marching bands to pit bands for Toby’s dinner theatre and ArtsCentric to local Baltimore rock/indie bands. Without any formal education in Music, he not only taught himself how to read and write it, but would stay up into the night teaching himself how to compose beats using recording software because he knew he wanted to go beyond mastering drums and emulate artists that inspired him like Quincy Jones and Pharrell. He’s been making beats since the days of Myspace but his desire to be more than “the drummer” led him to start producing for all types of genres.
After pursuing music for more than 20 years, it takes a genuinely passionate person like Mat to continue giving it his all given the unstable nature of the industry. He’s not impervious to the fact that his quest is not a guarantee. One thing that always stands out to me and reaffirms that he is following his true calling is that it doesn’t matter if it’s a 30-minute DJ set or an entire night’s entertainment, he practices as diligently and methodically for each. He works at it until he can ensure it’s up to his standards which tend to go far beyond accepted norms.
Mat tried to tell me that he wasn’t as interested in taking on the role of the artist as he was in helping others realize their vision while configuring sounds behind the scenes for a while. I didn’t buy it for a second because to know Mat is also to know he stands firm in his authentic truth. He’ll work with and listen to input from others, but in the end, he separates himself from those who don’t inspire him to push his art to the next level. I’ve seen this happen time and time again throughout the six years that we have been together. I know he will never be able to walk away from his true calling.
Take some time to listen to the full album because all of the tracks flow together like a river. My favorite from this album is obviously ‘Panda.’ When he first let me hear the song and probably 30 times after, my eyes welled up with tears of happiness. Like I tell my husband, I am a good gauge of the average consumer of music. I want to feel and be moved by the music, but I don’t want to spend time trying to understand the intricacies nor do I want to learn to appreciate it eventually. One play and I either vibe with it or don’t. Bloom is just that. It gives you All the feels. It is the perfect soundtrack for any drive or any commute really because you get lost in the music and stop counting the minutes till you reach your destination. Bloom is Mat’s reflective journey while beckoning the listener to contemplate their own and leaves just enough space to engage in dialogue.
Bamboo Blogger 
Congratulations Mat on the new album and I concur 100% with Pahini and so do my 24 students, ages 7-10, who Mat teaches how to make beats/compose music at Urban Harmony Music Academy every Friday, for the past 3years. They love him to the inth degree, he is patient, kind and very talented and a caring loving man and so is his wife, they are two of my fav people in the world.Wishing u the best Mat on your maiden voyage release.
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Love you, Pat!! Thank you for your kind words. ❤ I think Ayaan and I are due for another visit to the classroom!
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