Matthew Brown

INTRODUCTION

I am Matthew Brown, 21 years. I grew up on an island off the southeast coast of China, directly across from Taiwan, in a special economic trade city of 2 million called Xiamen. Yes, we even have plenty of skyscrapers and are turning into Hong Kong, they say.

My father is an MBA professor and my mother homeschooled me as a child. I am fluent in Mandarin, and having spent my first 19 years there, while engaged in other expatriate groups growing up, am culturally diverse in mentality and musical understanding.

MUSIC BACKGROUND

At age 6, I began taking piano lessons. I've been playing since, and Freshman year of university in the States (John Brown University), I won an Outstanding Pianist award, winning it over a Senior piano student. There are elements of piano in my music, and in some music I've written, piano is the primary instrument. The focus of my songs is typically more guitar.

At age 14, I began learning both guitar and drums. I was trained in drums by Jim Lanley, who spent many years in LA as an A-list studio drummer. From the age of 14 until 19 I played drums in numerous bands and honed the skill. My primary band (of close friends) played a couple shows with over a thousand people. Our style was metal; I was known by the numerous local metal bands for having the fastest double kick, and after my band broke up following high school graduation, I was recruited as temporary drummer for two associate metal bands, who were friends of ours. I had been changing musical direction since about 17 however, and began playing drums for acoustic groups and learning to play that style of drums.

Guitar I taught myself, beginning at age 14, and have played nearly every day that is feasible, working hard to learn necessary acoustic and electric skills.

At the same time that I began learning guitar, I also began writing songs. I taught myself guitar by making up chords and writing songs out of them. Only about one or two of those songs were fair enough that I have retained them till today, as catchy and mainstream-worthy. My demo songs on this website are from 19 onward.

At age 16 or 17 I converted my band's soundproofed practice room into a recording studio. I purchased Pro Tools and began learning to mix with some of the industry standards in mixing tools. As I was self-taught, my demos are not radio-worthy. During their production I tried my best to simulate the sound I was looking for, and so there is sufficient compression, equalization, etc. but it is evident that I am still an amateur mixer.

THE DEMOS

The Best Times I wrote, recorded and mixed at the age of 19, all in a one week period during my final semester of high school. This was right before leaving China to attend American university.

Compass and Free To Believe I wrote during my first year of college, and recorded and mixed during the following summer upon returning to my studio in China. I am not at all satisfied with all the elements of the demos, including the lyrics and particular vocal portions I performed, but I have not had access to a recording studio since summer 2008, and have had no means of altering the demos since then. Therefore, they are what they are for now: Demonstrations.

The songs have engaging structure, fine lyrics and vocal melodies (though still needing fine-tuning), and a fresh composition of instruments. Really the songs speak for themselves. You either will see their promise by listening to them, or you won't.

INFLUENCES

My influences range from mainstream to indie, and here is a small portion of the music that has shaped my style: Trading Yesterday, Bon Iver, William Fitzsimmons, Louis Armstrong, Sigur Ros, Sarah McLaghlan, Coldplay, Radiohead, John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Kate Rusby, James Blunt, Goo Goo Dolls, Dido, Dave Matthews Band, Creed....