Artist History As a child with a wild imagination and a love for animals and nature, I would sing to my pets, not realizing that I was discovering my love for words and melody.The animals were my friends and co-conspirators in mischief and life. Under the sky, while laying in the cool grass, I would sing….they would listen. It was a world of wonder, a place where I felt safe enough to believe in magic and fantasy…….Today when I feel inspired, I find a quiet place in my mind where I can re-visitthat creative space, a place to work without boundaries.While I'm sure I draw on my life's experiences, I rarely write about my life. Instead, I close my eyes, and visit the world of the characters I'm creating, I experience their lives…...Hopefully people will hear something that draws them to my songs.I love it when a song moves me, and writing songs that can move others,is an aspiration of mine. I feel inspired at times to express myself on subjects that don't get much attention. I've written, about teenage runaways, and child abuse, and ethereal, somewhat surreal story lines that are special to me.Many of my songs are given "zero" consideration as to commercial radio,while others are definitely influenced by the consumer driven business end.I enjoy writing, today's contemporary country, pop and light rock. I write whatever the "Universe" sends me, if it's a song that will have little appeal on the "top forty" charts, so be it. If a recording artist makes one of my songs it a smash hit, I'd be a very happy girl……If fate dictates that I never write for the "Stars", I still want to create music,and I want my music in some way, to make a positive difference.After visiting Nashville's famous Blue Bird Café I felt inspired, so "The Naked Truth" was born. The Naked Truth is a "whisper only" non-smoking, acoustic songwriters open mic and Songwriter's Round, to showcase songwriting and performance skills.Now I've set my sites on creating The Naked Truth "Artist's for Animals"Songwriter's Showcase to raise money to help give vet care and find new families,for homeless animals.They are still my friends, some things never change…………. (please visit TNT at) www.mp3.com/TheNakedTruth

Group Members Mataya Interview: Question: Music lovers that visit mp3 sites look forward to the chance to get to know the artist and as well as your music. Let's begin by finding out about you, Mataya. What would you like us to know? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Let's see. I share a very eclectic household with 4 rather large dogs, one cat and a very loving husband/friend. I work for myself, while working on music almost everyday. Gill and I began building a small home studio 2 years ago together, he had an eight track analog studio when I met him, and I swear, the first mixing board ever created. We now have a 16 track digital studio in our home, and Gill, is my engineer and plays many of the various guitars on my tracks. He also contributes to an occasional song in the kind of music I write, however he considers himself a composer of instrumental music, which I think he does very well. We've been together a little over two years and he's discovered that I see beauty in almost anything. He says I "Matayize" stuff. One of my favorite things is to spray paint old furniture and other throw-a-way items, my little treasures. It's my way of recycling. Gill runs when he see's me fetchin' the can of spray paint.Before I met Gill I was a fine arts artist, but I haven't been painting lately. When I was painting , I painted landscapes and contemporary art. I just enjoy the creative side of life. Right now I'm expressing that with my music.//////////////////////////Question: Were you into music when you met Gill? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Oh yes, always, I can't remember a time when I wasn't singing and making up tunes etc. When I was about 5 years old my mom and dad said I'd dance and sing to the juke box in public places and people would throw nickels and dimes. Now that I think about it, it was probably to get me to shut up ! Anyway I've always been in bands or duo's, I've made my living as a singer, but not much recording until I met Gill. His dream was to meet a "girl with a guitar who could sing and write". He came to the local chapter of The Nashville Songwriters Association International here in Charlotte and found me. He claimed to have had a "vision" and that he knew what I would look like and how I would sound. He said he knew that I'd be there. I was….. Now, that's a pick up line ! It worked…. //////////////////////////Question: So I take it he was doing a different kind of music than yourself, how does that effect your music together. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: He loves the "Dregs", Allan Holdsworth, Robben Ford, and many other musicians I knew nothing about. Well, that's not exactly true I definitely knew of The Dregs and Steve Morse. As a matter of fact, he was very impressed when he realized I recognized Steve's music. Then he found out that was my only musical knowledge of "Gill's guitar world". He loved me anyway!What was really wonderful for us when we met, was that Gill had been fascinated by Country Music Television. He was channel surfin' a few years back and saw anAlan Jackson video, but behind Alan, was a GREAT guitar player. Gill became interested in what was going on in that kind of music. The more he watched CMT the more he saw good lookin' women with guitars, great songs and of course more women and guitars! He was hooked. So by the time we met he was a fan of today's contemporary country and pop/rock. Perfect for our blending our talents together ! He still produces his instrumental music with his musician friends and continues to release his own cd's on his label "Know Label Music".//////////////////////////Question: What is your passion, what do you care the most about? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Gill, of course! Now that he's a happy camper I'll answer in a little more detail. Just "a" passion? You're talkin' to the wrong person. I'm "eat up" with passion! You might be sorry you asked, I hope not ! I guess the foremost "creative" passion I have is to write and perform songs. When I paint, people interpret my art "as they see it", which is fine, especially the contemporary art, but with my music, I hope I express myself in such a way that the listener knows my feelings, and my thoughts about the story line. I believe my passion is fueled by wanting to be heard, hoping to be understood.My goal is to find a publisher that understands and appreciates that the majority of my songs are written from a passionate place; a place from my heart and spirit. I believe if it touches me, others will be touched as well.My life long passion is animals. I consider animals to be my friends and family. I would not want to live in a world without them, they bring so much beauty to our planet, they bring some balance to human existence. I have always tried to do what I can to help, by joining with other rescue and animal rights groups, as well as private rescue and adoption efforts. Right now I'm not active in the two groups I support, however I am beginning a fundraising effort called "Artist's for Animals Project". This project will begin with musicians contributing their art in a Songwriters Showcase and or Battle of the Bands kinda' thing. Then later I will involve fine art's artists to do an art shows, and probably an actors group to do plays. All kinds of artists will be asked to participate. I sure hope it works ! I want to spay or neuter homeless animals and find them safe and loving homes.A few years ago I helped to found a non-profit group called "Friends of Feral Felines". (Feral, means wild.) 3F feeds, traps, spays or neuters and then releases dumpster cats back to their dumpsters. Our goal is to stop the breeding so all those mother cats don't keep producing kittens, born to die. I believe music is a gift that can help me to give of myself…..helping animals would allow me to do that. I am also passionate about Mother Nature, and I'm very concerned for her health. The devastation of our planet's rainforests is the worst abuse I'm aware of. Many humans just don't get it. We all contribute to her demise, no matter how good many of us try to be. We just need to do what we can to help her. She dies, we die. Period. Ok, ……lets lighten up here…. Yep, I'm a passionate kinda' girl.//////////////////////////Question: So you're makin' music in your home town of Charlotte. How does it affect your creativity living in a town noted for banking, not songwriting? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Ok, nice change of pace….ah…. Charlotte, Charlotte does have some very talented, hardworking artists, producers etc., but it "ain't no Nashville"! I believe to best answer to your question I would say that, when I'm in Nashville, I feel like something "could happen" to me musically. You know, someone might be listening to my songs and go "wow, I'm Faith Hill's producer and she would love to record your tunes". Chances are that would never happen even there, but at least in Nashville, there is a chance. I've never lived anywhere else, but I'm considering moving the whole "she bang to "music city". In 1999 - through 2000, I traveled to Nashville no less that 7 times, studying the craft of songwriting, learning my way around the city, playing open mic's with Gill, making wonderful friends, and learning the business.//////////////////////////Question: Ah…the dreaded words….."the business". So many people think it's a sell out to write for commercial success, how do you feel? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Business is not my first interest, creating great songs is, but if you're not business minded you'll be sorry later. I've had to decide what I really wanted to do with my songwriting as it relates to becoming a professional songwriter or making music "just" for fun. I made a decision to do both. I write songs that I hope are of interest to the main stream, cd buying, concert going public, as well as songs that are not quite so palatable to the "top forty" listener. Guess what, no matter what I write, I have fun doing it !For anyone who thinks that writing for commercial success if a "sell out", I just tell them, I'd rather make an honest living making music than digging ditches. Even in most of my "hooky tunes" I am writing about things that are dear to me, and I believe I express valid opinions. Sometimes I'm inspired to write songs on very serious subjects. These are not the easiest to get recorded by an artist. You really do have to think it all through and make those hard decisions, which songs to pitch to an artist, and which ones to keep for yourself. I love playin' those out, probably more than the others. Question: I'd like to go back to my original question. ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Oh man, what was it? //////////////////////////Question: Does it affect your creativity living in a town known more for banking, than songwriting? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Oh yeah, You did ask me that. Well…..Charlotte is a wonderful city, I'm a native, although I'd rather be in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As far as this being a nurturing place for songwriters, it has a way to go. Although we now have a Nashville Songwriters Association International local chapter here and that is a start. There's still more bankers than music publishers, record companies, and producers, as you know. I'd love to see that change.Most places you play cover material to make a living, no matter what you play most of the time your aren't heard anyway. During my trips to Nashville I discovered that places like The Blue Bird Café existed. At that venue, songwriters are revered while performing in a smoke free environment with no one yelling at the game that's on the wide screen t.v. over the songwriters head. People don't talk during the performances there, what a novel concept, people "really" listening to the song. So…….I came home and created a "blue bird " knockoff in Charlotte….. //////////////////////////Question: Wow, that sounds great, is it appreciated, can you get the same reverence you found in Nashville? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Charlotte's songwriting community was more than ready for it. It's almost been a year since I approached The Living Art venue and requested two nights each month to put on a songwriters event, and. we are doing just fine. The Naked Truth acoustic open mic and Nashville style Songwriters Round was born on March 23rd 2000. I dropped the reference to Nashville once the listeners understood that I was bringing a Nashville tradition to Charlotte. During the evening at TNT (short for The Naked Truth) we have a songwriter's acoustic open mic first, and then a Songwriter's Round follows. Although there are some strong writer/performers in the open mic portion, it does allow for all levels of writer/performers to learn their craft. //////////////////////////Question: For the readers general information, a songwriters round is usually about 3 or 4 songwriters, (invited guests) in a concert setting, each does their own original song and then the next songwriter does one, and so on until it comes back around to the beginning songwriter/performer. They usually go around 5 or 6 times depending on time, right? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: Ah..you've done your homework! It's just been a pleasure to watch songwriters enjoy themselves on stage, knowing they are really appreciated. Living Art has an elevated stage and nice lighting, performers are in concert. By the way, we are currently putting together a web site. Go to www.mp3.com/TheNakedTruth and check us out. Soon you'll find a TNT radio station there with many of our Songwriter's Round alumni featured, as well as others. We're also in the planning stages of a cable t.v. show with The Best of The Naked Truth (sometime in the near future we hope). We're cookin' here in Charlotte……..//////////////////////////Question: Is there anything else you'd like to say as we part company? ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||Mataya: I have a song called "Woulda', Shoulda', Coulda' Blues" a previously used title I'm sure, but the song taps all of us on the shoulder and reminds us to "find what ever it is in your life that brings you joy". Songwriting brings me joy, sharing my lyrics and melody with the listener gives me an opportunity to express my thoughts on various subjects. "The soul of an artist is bare and exposed, remember when you listen to a songwriters artistic expression you are experiencing The Naked Truth……."////////////////////////// Chorus//////////////////////////At the end of your life when you're wishin' that the contract could be renewedYou'll wonder why you didn't do the things that had appealed to youYou won't fret about the things you did, just the things you didn't doWhen you're sittin' around with the woulda', shoulda', coulda' blues.Copyright MATAYA MUSIC June 30, 2000 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Location Charlotte, NC - USA

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