Matthew
Matthew Michael Belcher was born in San Diego California on March 23rd, 1968. He was the middle child of four, raised by parents who were in the Education business. Matthews’ musical background started when he was five, when he sat at the un used household piano and asked, “How do I make this work?” His talent of playing by ear started very soon after by hearing movie theme compositions like Jaws and Star Wars and mimicking the tunes on the piano. Matthews’ weekly piano lessons and undesirable recitals lasted through his junior year in high school when the synth music of the eighties caught his ear.
The 1980s, the decade of synth pop, changed the way Matthew saw music. Instead of having to learn Bach and Beethoven, Matthew was listening to Howard Jones, New Order and the Police. “I wanted to mix the synth sound of Howard Jones with the musical writing style of the Police.” In 1984, Matthew bought his first synthesizer, the Roland JX 3P. “That Keyboard was the first midi keyboard which at that time, meant nothing to me, or for many others for that matter. I just liked that fat synth sound, turning knobs, and making sounds that were unfathomable to the average ear.” Not much later, midi did become a reality for Matthew and he added another keyboard and a Drum Machine. “I was working Room Service at a hotel, making more money than I knew what to do with, so I bought music equipment. I couldn’t have enough.” The writing began. “I would listen to drummers on the radio and try to emulate them on the drum machine. I would stay away from the steady drum machine beat of the eighties and try to stick with what a real drummer would play. Instrumental compositions would flow out of me. They might not have been any good but the ideas wouldn’t stop. Like looking at an empty canvas and just painting without thinking and eventually your paintings begin to take shape and you form a style. I purposely would not listen to any sort of Jazz or instrumental music cause I didn’t want to get caught up in trying to emulate them. I had my influences, and they had nothing to do with instrumental music. I was really into the Police and Sting. His musical writing style really caught my ear. I never really knew what he was talking about; I just loved his musical style. A style that I still love today.”
Matthews early compositions never made it passed family or friends. He would make tapes with art on the cover and pass them out, never really even thinking of his talents going any further. “I was emotionally fragile. I had no drive to research how to get my music out there. I was just waiting for the magical guy to come to the door someday and say congratulations! You are a star! I had no knowledge or the drive to gain any knowledge in the music business. But I sure loved to make music.”
It wasn’t until 1993 when Matthew started to focus on getting his music out into the world. He joined a music union in Portland Oregon, which he had then resided, to hopefully get hooked up in playing in a band. “I never really played live before except for a few piano recitals and some garage bands, and I really was hoping to hook up with some guys who had some connections.” The very same day Matthew signed up in the union he received a call from Tom McNaughton. “You know through your many travels in life, you run into maybe three or four people that inspire you forever, that made a difference in everything you do? Well, Tom is one of those people.” Matthew and Tom hit it off right away, and began collaborating on instrumental pieces almost immediately. “Tom also had a little band that used background tracks from a computer.” The light system was also run by the computer. I was blown away!” They had me play in this little cover band with them called Paradise. That was the time of my life! We played in this little Chinese Food Restaurant, Bar on the weekends and had a nice little following.” On the side from the band, Tom and Matt always had new compositions brewing. Tom worked for a media company where he ran sound for trade shows. He would use the original music he and Matt would compose, at these shows, and received very warm responses.
Through the shows Tom would work, his rolodex grew with a few contacts that were interested in more original music. “None of those contacts worked out. To make a long story short, we were ripped off, lied to and used. Every time I would get my hopes up, thinking we hit the mother load, reality would set in. Another promise gone to pass.”
finally, after months of frustrations and doing projects for free, Matt went to see a music lawyer. “He told me the only way I was really going to make it and get noticed was to produce my own album.” Many years later, after having a child, experiencing a broken marriage, and going separate ways from Tom, “JOURNEY ST. was produced.
“My goal was to produce a project that could, in away be interactive. Since writing words was impossible for me I wanted to write songs that the listener could create words or thoughts on their own. A song with words, dictates how you should feel or think. The music I have written paves a road, but the listener decides how they want to travel it. It was difficult to do to, write instrumental music that changes enough to keep the listener listening. Change the beat, the key, the tempo. Like turning a corner or traveling a steep grade. Years of work and experiences for 45 minutes of music. But those 45 minutes will be different every time it is experienced. Would I do it again? I have already begun.