GraceFilled Community

Taking Faith to Unexpected Places: How Michael Matney Merges Music, Ministry & Business

• Nicole Cater • Season 1 • Episode 8

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Discover the inspiring story of Michael Matney, a Virginia-born musician who turned his humble beginnings—using “yard-mowing money” to fund his first album—into a career marked by Grammy consideration, international airplay, and an unwavering Christian witness in the music industry.

🔹 Early Beginnings: Started piano at age six and guitar at eight.
🔹 Rare Collector’s Item: His first album is now valued at $1,000 per copy.
🔹 Faith in the Spotlight: Committed to ensuring his rising success amplified his Christian witness.
🔹 Unexpected Reach: His music has played on rock radio stations in Russia.
🔹 Personal Integrity: Maintains strict personal boundaries, including abstaining from alcohol, to uphold his testimony.
🔹 Entrepreneurial Balance: Juggles a thriving music career while running a family insurance business.
🔹 New Music & Collaborations: Currently working on a gospel album with Nashville musicians.
🔹 Overcoming Struggles: Has faced battles with addiction, family loss, and personal hardships.
🔹 Education & Milestones: The first in his family to graduate from college.
🔹 Upcoming Performances: Touring Florida and Texas in the coming months.

🎸 Follow Michael Matney:
📷 Instagram: @MatineeRocks | @MatineeBand
🎥 YouTube: Matinee Music

Connect with Us:
Visit our website at www.gracefilledcommunity.com
Follow us on Facebook: GraceFilled Community
Follow us on Instagram @gracefilledcommunity.

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Speaker 1:

My name is Nicole Cater, your host, founder and servant leader of Gracefield Community. I want to thank you for tuning in to Gracefield Community Podcast. This is a safe space, a place in which we just share stories of how God has touched individuals' lives all across the world and how they are now impacting the kingdom of God. Thank you for tuning in. Blessings to you. Hello Grace Field community listeners, I am so excited that you've chosen to tune into our podcast today. Our goal is that we inspire you through our conversation. We are going to have a nice time with some organic, authentic communication today with Mr Michael Matney. Hey Michael, hey Nicole, how are you doing.

Speaker 2:

Thanks for having me on.

Speaker 1:

I'm doing great.

Speaker 2:

Appreciate this.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely. I'm so excited to have you on today and just to have some conversation. I think you have a unique background that I'm so excited for our listeners to hear about. So, before we dive into, all the things we want to talk about please tell our listeners, give us some background, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Speaker 2:

Okay, nicole, my name is Mike Matney and I'm a musician and I'm from a small town in southwest Virginia, a little rural community called Richlands. I've lived here most of my life. I've lived in Nashville for a while and mostly here. When I was a. When I was a young guy 18, 19 I worked in a record store around here and I got the opportunity, had a little small studio in the back and I got the opportunity, had a little small studio in the back and I got the opportunity to record an album just a little four-track album and saved up my yard, mowing money and stuff and we had like 200-some copies of it, gave them away, whatever. Well, fast forward. About 10 years later I got contacted to become a collector's item. It was selling for like a hundred and some dollars a copy and of course I didn't have any copies left. But as you flash forward to now, it's like a thousand dollars for copy. I've got signed by a couple of record labels and I've been blessed.

Speaker 1:

Awesome. Well, definitely sounds like it. I mean, let's just start Like I. You have a talent that I do not have. It is a gift for sure. Cause, to start like I, you have a talent that I do not have. It is a gift for sure. Because, um, nobody has offered me any type of labels for any type of recording for my singing at all. If anything, when I'm singing in the shower, my family is like close the door, good well, you're obviously talented well, thank you, look, you, look, stay at our, stay at our leads right.

Speaker 2:

Right, there you go.

Speaker 1:

Oh well, I'm excited today about our conversation because I'm all about just like kingdom business, right, and just talking truths about the gospel. And so I want to ask you, like, in what you do right. So you've come from a background with music. We know that the music industry can be a lot said about right, and then there's this aspect of like from rock and roll to folk and then continuing that into bringing into the gospel, like what are your thoughts about taking the gospel in place to this places that it not usually is at right? It's like not a church setting.

Speaker 2:

I can't believe. You said that. It's the words. We've used those words for the last few years. All right, um, that's the thing about it.

Speaker 2:

I, my mom, uh, I grew up in church. My mom played piano in church. I've been around music my whole life and, uh, of course, I got, uh, I grew up in the 70s, 80s I'm an old guy and I was in, you know, the rock stuff and I went down that road and, uh, for me now being a musician, I mean I've, uh, I just recently finished the product project with stevie salas out of austin. Uh, stevie's a big-time musician, so I'm still deeply into the rock thing and what that's allowed me to do is, uh, it has allowed me to to.

Speaker 2:

You know, I've went out toward the country, smaller clubs and stuff, and I have got a chance to uh talk to people you know about about it and take it places that it doesn't go, and and I made the promise a long time ago and this is going to sound kind of corny, but but I made the promise a long time ago to myself and to him that the bigger that I got, the more people just want to know I was a christian, and so I'm trying to stick to that uh. So now it's kind of gave me the opportunity to to uh break into my uh to the gospel. I'm trying to do the gospel on the side too. Last year I got considered for a grammy in the rock stuff, so this year my goal is is to get considered for a grammy and the gospel stuff.

Speaker 1:

To get that yes, I love that. I love it. You know, one of the things I think about is just the great commission. Right, like we are to go out and make disciples, and I think so so often, especially if you've been in a Christian community or raised like in the church. Like you said, you and I both were raised in a church, right we I mean, we used to have these tracks right, it's like go take this book and pass this book out, or go do this versus living our lives to where it is a testament of the gospel. And so I love what you're doing, because you are living your life as a musician. You're taking the gifts and the talents that you've been given but using that to go outside of the four walls and to help disciple, in a sense of bringing the gospel to others. Um, you know, I imagine that that has to be pretty rewarding for you, because you get to do the aspect that you love while you also see the gospel going forth.

Speaker 2:

I'll tell you a cool story. Um, just just one story that comes to mind. Uh, to mind, I've got, of course, I've got an Instagram account and stuff too. And I got a message from a guy and he said that he was the owner of the largest, I think the only, rock station in the middle of Russia, right in the middle of Russia, he said. He said I like your stuff. He said I like your songs, he said. He said he said okay, if I play him. He said can you send me, you know, copies of him? And I was like, sure, sure, I did. So. Uh, an hour or two later I'm sitting there thinking I said okay, so I wrote the guy back and I said, well, uh, you know the religious music. And he writes back and he says I love that. He said I'll play that. And so I thought you know, yeah, that's cool. You know, if I can do that kind of stuff, then that's that makes me feel.

Speaker 1:

Absolutely yes. And the thing is, I mean, scripture tells us, right, like one may plant a seed, another may water, and then another one will water, and then we'll see it grow. Right, and so we never know where those deposits are falling. And so kudos to you for even um, I think that's the thing, right, like looking for the opportunities to bring the gospel in right. It's not necessarily walking around with Jesus written on my forehead.

Speaker 2:

I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you Anytime I get an opportunity in a podcast to bring it up or talk about it, and if I can do a podcast speaking and so forth. The words personal accountability.

Speaker 1:

And so I imagine that means a lot to you, especially, maybe just even in the music industry. So tell me, you know a little bit about personal accountability, Like what is that for you?

Speaker 2:

Well, I mean, I feel responsible, you know, for, of course, my own actions. I feel responsible, you know, for, uh, of course, my own actions and, uh, you know, I think that the things I do, because I, I'm a musician, because that I, I I do have, you know, I mean I am in a position, I mean, you know, I, I have to be careful about things I say and things I do and things I act, because it's a reflection of you know you're supposed to be letting him live through you, right, extremely.

Speaker 1:

You know it's tough, you know imagine you know, in your sense, like it has to be tough being around, I mean, and I haven't set in a rock and roll like behind the scenes backstage you know environment, we see all these things that you know, even in news lines, right, you hear about this, you hear about this person, and so I imagine that it is heavy listing of temptation that you have to overcome to keep the, the gospel inside of you and keep him inside of you, like, keep your testimony pure, right, um?

Speaker 2:

it's easy. You know, uh, you want to influence, you know, but you have to be careful that you're not influenced. You know, you find yourself. Uh, I'm a guy you know I. I got some guys in one of the bands I play and you know, you find yourself. Uh, I'm a guy, you know I. I got some guys in one of the bands I play, and you know they'll, they'll let a a few curse words slip here and there and if I'm not careful, you know what I'm saying yes, yeah, and it's so easy, right, like to fall into that diverse temptation, right, it's so easily to do.

Speaker 1:

Can I just ask, like, what are some of the boundaries that you've created for yourself to help you? Um kind of be accountable, in that sense?

Speaker 2:

I don't drink anymore. Uh, I don't drink. Uh, you know, when we go out and we play out and stuff, I mean I'm the uh, I'm uh, I'm the first one back to the hotel and, uh, I don't, don't, I don't get out and go. You know, that's probably. I probably should socialize more at the clubs. I got I've got chastised for that and stay out longer than I do and everything. Meet more people than I do. But I'm pretty much at my age and everything. I'm ready to go to the house after the show, right, and so, yeah, so that I mean I, I try to, uh, I get tickled. My bass player, he calls me that, he calls me an oak out on the road, you know, because I don't sometimes I don't participate in some of their shenanigans yes, okay, you know.

Speaker 1:

One of the things that comes to mind, though, is, um, when you talk about, like, having that aspect of doing things differently. I mean, isn't that what the Bible communicates is that we're set apart, and so sometimes that is a part of our witness of us. Our nose, right, it is our nose. That sometimes is the witness. I recall there was a circumstance where I had a family member, and some years had gone by, and this family member like called and was like I'm so excited. You know, someone just talked to me about Jesus. I've accepted Jesus, and I remember being super excited for them and then being like did I ever talk to them about Jesus? Like, did I ever say do you know Jesus? Can I share something with you about Jesus?

Speaker 1:

And at first I was feeling pretty guilty, like I was beating myself up. Which y'all? That is my um. If I was to sit here and say this is my opposite of superpower, this is my vulnerability, weakness is like being harder on myself, right. And so I was feeling bad in the sense of like man, like I don't know if I like, why did it take somebody else to say something if I didn't say anything? And I actually told them and I said you know, I'm so sorry, I think I failed you.

Speaker 1:

I think that, like, could this have happened sooner if I said something to you years ago being that I knew you and they gave me one of the greatest responses sticks with me. And they said one, it wasn't time, my heart was not ready to receive. And it said two you did witness to me through all your no's, through all the times that we're as a family. Maybe we're coming together drinking. You're like no, I'm not doing that today. Or maybe we are coming together and everybody else is cursing and you're choosing. Like I'm not using words like that. Or she was like, even in the example of, like how you treat people, it was like, how can you be so kind with this situation? Like I'm cussing this lady out. And so there was that thought of like that is the witness. I I never did say jesus name, but all of those deposits, what led to when that person did come, she had a, a reference point of what it looks like to live a life with christ that's.

Speaker 2:

I love it. That's I'm glad you told me that story. That's perfect. That's the perfect example of that.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, and I think that, like as you were saying, like you know I get it I'm the one that's like I'm going home or I'm not participating in this, or we're in our room when everybody else is maybe having a quote, unquote good time. But that is a part of the witness and it's a part of the sacrifice, right Like we signed up for this when we signed up to follow Christ.

Speaker 2:

Listen, I'll say this I've sit there and I'm making myself out to be a goody two shoes, but I have failed gloriously at times. So yeah, I'm, I'm here.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I, you know. I think too, about a few months ago I don't know, maybe a year ago now right, I was just really sitting and reading some of Paul's writings and I came to a point of recognizing the whole aspect of like. If eating meat would offend my brother, right. And the thought concept of like eating meat's not wrong, right. Like it's not wrong. Nowhere in the Bible does it say do not do this right. And what he was essentially saying is that if it would cause them to see my witness differently, then I won't do it in their presence. Right.

Speaker 1:

And so, even when it comes to the aspect of drinking like, I was one that let me tell you, I was drinking before the age of 21. I had my college days. Why, I wouldn't say why my parents let me, but why I even chose to go to school at University of Nevada, las Vegas, of all places, right. So there were definitely days of like, heavy drinking. And as I became an adult and as I continued like and started really diving into my journey with Christ like, it wasn't until recently that it was like, wait a minute, I shouldn't do this. Not because you say it's wrong Now, yes, you say you should not get drunk, but you've never said it's wrong to have a glass of wine. You've never said that it's wrong to partake in this. But yet if me doing it at a restaurant where others that I, tomorrow, will be speaking and ministering the gospel to is gonna cause them the question, the gospel that comes forth, then that means I'm.

Speaker 1:

I shouldn't be doing this, and so even the recognition of like hey, there's things that I used to do and we're daily. It's a daily choice, right, his mercies are new each day, just like God makes a choice to give us new mercies each day. I need to make a choice to love him in my actions each day. And, like you said, we're going to drop the ball. All have said and fallen short. I'm going to drop the ball at times and thank the Lord for his grace that I could come right back in and say, hey, let me correct this, right.

Speaker 2:

I heard somebody say one time that they were deserving of a double helping of grace, so I guess that would be me.

Speaker 1:

I'm'm really, I'm really counting on yes, well, look, so many of us are, me included. I think there's a reason why I can talk about like a grace-filled community, because that's what it is right. We all are in that grace. Not a grace that says, hey, this is permission to do, but a grace that says when you have done is permission to do, but a grace that says when you have done, he's still here and loves you with open arms.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, there's nothing you know that should separate you from that. You're exactly right?

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely so I wouldn't. We're talking about the musician side, but I recall seeing something about insurance. So tell me, what do you do and how does that come together?

Speaker 2:

That kind of pays the bills. I mean, you know, these days, being a musician, I mean it's tough. You know I'm an indie musician, I don't have a gig with a major label or anything, so you know it's always about the money and finances. You know supporting always about the money, finances, you know supporting yourself and stuff. So my dad, uh, we've had it. He's had an insurance agency for years in town. So uh, he's 87 now and I come back I'm running that we both have farms here and so, uh, it's, uh, I mean it's, it's okay, it's, it's you get to serve the community and at the same time, I mean it pays the bills.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I hear that. Right, pay the bills. Somebody has to pay the bills.

Speaker 2:

I got a friend. I got a friend over in the UK. It's in a band and recently he told me he said that he said several years ago. Uh, he said he was going through a session. Both of them passed and he spoke right quickly to him and asked him, said you know, do you have any advice for you know up-and-coming musician, struggling musician? So mick jagger walked on, he says yeah, I said never give up. And he said he got on down the street a little bit and turned around. You know your day job. Yeah, so, yeah, so the insurance agency is by day job.

Speaker 1:

Yes, yeah, okay, great, and I imagine I mean we were talking about the musician side. But, like you said, like insurance is a way that you also interact with people. You get a chance to be there even in times where they're making hard choices and hard decisions. Have you found that that also leads to a way that you bring the gospel through?

Speaker 2:

Yes, I mean absolutely, and you know where I live at. I mean there's a church every hundred yards. I mean I'm writing smackdown in the middle of the Bible.

Speaker 1:

Right.

Speaker 2:

Everybody is. Everybody knows each other, and everybody knows each other from church, and I love that about my community, and so that's one of the good things about getting to work with the public. Hey, let's take a quick break to tell you about Grace-Filled Community.

Speaker 1:

Gracefield Community is an organization that focuses on the primary principles of the Church of Acts, centered around building communities that impact the Kingdom of God. We do this through three core extensions 1. Gracefield Church Network, where we empower churches and nonprofits for God's success and growth. We offer tailored growth strategies rooted in biblical principles that will help you expand your reach and impact your communities. Just like the early church, we focus not on attendance and numbers, but on discipleship, providing leadership teachings and trainings to today's ministry leaders.

Speaker 1:

Our second extension is Project of the Grace Field, where we provide biblical counseling, mentorship, workshops and events that are dedicated to encouraging individuals to live a life filled with grace and purpose, rooted in the understanding that all have fallen short and are a working project. Let us help the individuals in your community grow as they walk with God and experience the fullness of his love. Our third extension is the grace-filled business. Grace-filled business is here to help small, faith-based business owners develop their business in a way that honors God, that brings increase and allows them to pour back into His kingdom, through marketplace ministry and financing His kingdom. We do this through our 15 years of experience of virtual administrative work, digital marketing, business development and consulting.

Speaker 2:

Welcome back.

Speaker 1:

I'm looking here and I'm like, oh my gosh, see how fast time gets the flyer on us, right? I want to ask another question, though. You know, when we talk about struggles, I for sure have had my own share of struggles and have daily struggles, right? I think there's a reason why, like I mentioned earlier, like God's mercies are new every day, I think there's a reason why we're told to renew our mind. I think there's a reason why we're told to meditate on his word day and night, right, because there are struggles that we will have.

Speaker 1:

We have our natural human body that carries struggles or fight, fighting a spiritual warfare. Then we have this mental aspect that we have to take care of, right, for our mental health. Then then there's the emotional components and yes, michael, you are a male, I happen to be a female that deals with like these, like perimenopause, and so there's all these emotions also present. But when I, when I think about struggles, like it can be easy to like take those struggles and just put them behind like a closed door, or even sometimes putting them behind like the cross. So what are, what are your thoughts when it comes to, like, the struggles that happen in life?

Speaker 2:

Oh gosh For me. I mean, I found that the hardest times I've ever faced my sister overdosed and back about 2018 or so, and my mom died, like a couple years after that, and those things for me, I mean, those were devastating and but I found and then I struggled with addiction years ago too. It's probably, um, it's been 30 years ago or so, but I can remember those times in my life when, uh, I was at my lowest or whatever struggles that you know, I found comfort and I felt the closest to him during those times and you know that that for me, I've just always turned to him when I hit that point where I've got to have help. You know, um, I found that that's. That's the answer for me as far as the struggles go is prayer. You know a lot of prayer, right? So I guess what you're asking is that is that kind of what you're saying.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I mean definitely, like I think struggling with God on your side essentially means that you experience difficult situations in a different way. Right, like I say it, I know we hear it all the time Like I don't know how to do life without God and I'm grateful, as I'm sure you are being raised in a church. Like even when it was at times where I was there because I had to be there, I was told to be there. At times where I was there because I had to be there, I was told to be there. But there were deposits being imparted in my spirit, even when I was there unwillingly right there you can't get out.

Speaker 2:

Take it away from it.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and so when, when I hit difficult times, even in my season of turning away from God and difficult times it would be it was, it was like it was in there and it was like there's something to hold on to, there's a hope, there's a faith, even when I was wrestling with doubt, right, there was still this aspect of like. But what if? Because all of this had been imparted into me, I had heard and it had hit into my spirit, and so I like how you said, like just struggling with God on our side.

Speaker 2:

I'm so thankful for that understanding and I'm so thankful that my parents, like you say, I was raised in a home that was, you know, a church home. You know, church, a church home, you know. Yeah, you get that once. You get that in you. I think that's. I don't know if you could say it's the calling or it's, it's, it's, it's there.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, absolutely. Um, I think that's the thing that I encourage people today, that especially parents like you know. Um, sometimes I go to these events and they say like hey, what would you say to like new parents? Like I'm having being a mom of twins, having me a mom of teenagers now having lost a child. They say, what would you say to you know, a new parent? And my thing I would say is keep them as close as you can to community, that a faith community. Because in all that I've seen, and even in my own life experience, it's that when you have them around, community of like-minded believers, even though they may veer off, right, there's this aspect of like. Like the Bible says, train up a child in the way that you can go and he will not depart. Like, they may veer off, but they come back home, right. And it's so much easier when you're around community of like-minded people that can encourage you, that can uplift you. You know that you can build this faith walk together, because it's not easy to do alone. Yeah.

Speaker 2:

Nicole, I like you, you're a good person, oh look, thank you, thank you, I like you too.

Speaker 1:

Look, I'm excited to dive into your music. Um, you know, I do want to say too, as I, as we talk about all of this, like when it comes to your music, and um, what aspect like, how early did you start, how early did you start? When did you know? Like, hey, I want to do this.

Speaker 2:

Well, my mom, like I said, I grew up with mom being a piano player in a church and when I was six years old, I can actually remember you got to remember. The times was different then. I can remember getting out of school at first grade and walking across the street into a neighborhood and taking lessons with a lady named Mrs Hubbard and walking back, and that was in the first grade. So yeah, I've been at it quite a while yes, okay.

Speaker 1:

So how has your faith affected, like affected your music?

Speaker 2:

uh, well, you know, a lot of times now, when I sit down to write a song, I'll have to struggle to write a secular song, you know, you know, write a faith song, I mean, I think about it. I think about it constantly as far as my music goes, and right now again, I'm getting ready to uh, to go down a road with a gospel album. I'll tell you just about it right quick, if I can. Yeah, of course.

Speaker 1:

I mean I was going to ask, like what's coming up for you, but please do tell.

Speaker 2:

I've started on it already and, like a couple of weeks ago I recorded a couple of songs. Go, I recorded a couple of songs. Uh, my, uh, I got a friend that runs a recording studio named jay on in nashville on music bro jay's place. He got some great musicians to do it. I didn't play on it, I just wrote the songs and, uh, my brother-in-law sang on it. Uh, he plays drums for the little river band. He sang on it and a guy named michael lusk sang on it, and I'm really pleased with how it's coming out.

Speaker 2:

So my idea is to put out an album. Uh, I just want to just write this stuff and let you know some other guys do it, some really good musicians and uh, and get it out there. So I've been trying to think of how I can do that and still be involved by name and stuff on it. So I'm thinking now I've got a buddy that we make some, uh, we make some videos for the songs and stuff together. I sent you a couple of them. Uh, we've been talking about it with the new ai and all that stuff. Now we're thinking about, uh, making this is gonna sound silly, okay, but we're thinking about making a muppet band you know for the gospel stuff and do the videos and everything for the seven yes, well, look, you said it's gonna sound silly, but in today's time, as I mentioned, I have three teenagers and I don't know, have you heard of this skippity toilet thing?

Speaker 1:

no, okay, let me tell you, nothing is as silly as this and this toilet is like blowing up. I think it's like skippity-doo I can never say it right skippity-doo, skippity-doo. Our listeners if you have teens, you probably know what I'm talking about but it literally is is a guy's head coming out of a toilet singing a song, and it has gone viral. There are toys in Walmart representing this. I mean, mean it is crazy, and I they pulled up a video and said, like mom, this is what skippity thing is. And I'm like what am I wasting Three minutes of my life on right now? But the reality is it has reached I can't even say somebody. It has reached millions of people.

Speaker 2:

Um, through the toilet. I have got a six-year-old grandson, five-year-old, six-year-old grandson.

Speaker 1:

I'll have to check this out yes, yes, I'm telling you, um, and I guess there's people that have also like, repeated it. It's become a huge thing. And I again I was looking at the video, like am I watching a head out of a toilet sing a song? Like, is this what we're doing?

Speaker 2:

Take the Muppet thing, man.

Speaker 1:

Yeah. So all that to say, like I think the Muppet is an excellent idea.

Speaker 2:

It's funny.

Speaker 1:

Yes, oh, I love it, I love it. You know what? Yes, oh, I love it, I love it. You know what? You didn't say some of this, but I feel like I would be doing a disservice to our audience not to just mention some of the spaces that you've been in, because I know when I was reading through it and I'm like I'm just gonna go into it so for our audience, let me just tell you, michael started piano lessons at age six, and when he was eight he was his music was on the radio.

Speaker 1:

music on the radio captivated him and he started to play the guitar. So he was doing piano at six, guitar starting at eight. He had moved several times as a child and got accustomed with having to make new friends, and so that was a constant thing in his life. And so one day a friend invited him to his basement where his older brother and some friends were jamming with the electric guitar.

Speaker 2:

I'm going to pause there. I want you to finish telling that story.

Speaker 1:

I'm like let me pause, because you probably could tell it better than I can read it. But I was like wow.

Speaker 2:

Well, this was the 70s, you know, and this is when music was just rock, was just really going. Well, these guys, a friend of mine, his brother in high school we were like junior high, so his brother had a band and we went to the basement, listened to him and I was just blown away. I mean, at that point, you know, I said that's what I want to do. And, uh, really, I never looked back since then. I was always from as soon as I got out of high school, my parents knew they just sent me to nashville at 18. I was living in nashville, you know. So, uh, deep into it and uh, and that lasted, for I thought I was going to be big time, and then that lasted for about a year and then I was living out of my car and I came back and that's when I recorded that album. That you know, my first album, yeah, yes, yeah, and I noticed.

Speaker 1:

I mean you mentioned living out of your car and I also read that you saved up yard mowing money.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, for the first album. I mean it was the way it worked is. A friend of mine was an old guy, had a record store in town and he always wanted to have a recording studio. So he had a little machine in the back, a little four-track recorder, and I worked for him, kept the store open so he'd let me go in the back of the evening and record. He'd record me on his four-track machine. Well, he passed away and I had recorded enough songs on that four-track recorder that I was able to go to Nashville and get this pressed up. You know, with the money that I'd saved up and, like I said, we gave them away at shows and gave them away to people.

Speaker 2:

We had no idea that you know, they would become more something one day Right.

Speaker 1:

Crazy to me, right? Well, I think that's even a testament to our listeners that are entrepreneurs, our listeners that have these goals and dreams, right, like you know, so often I always say like you see me on the mountaintop, but you don't know the story of all I went through to get to this point that you see today and I love how you acknowledge that. Like it was mowing yards, it was living in your car, where some of the sacrifices that were made to really invest into this thing that you want to do, I didn't even know what was going on.

Speaker 2:

I was, I was away from it and I was told that it had done this over the years, you know. So it was kind of a shock, but out of that it's come a lot of great stuff, I mean. So it's like I said, it's been a blessing.

Speaker 1:

Yes, absolutely. Well, I just want to say y'all. So Michael has a music degree as well. Is that correct?

Speaker 2:

I do have a degree in recording industry management from Middle Tennessee State University, a REM degree.

Speaker 1:

Awesome.

Speaker 2:

Awesome. I went back later in life and got that, so I'm kind of proud of that too.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, well, I can imagine. So you know, I think that especially kind of in all the resources and things that we have and don't get me wrong, I am a YouTube university girl right, I'm like you can go on YouTube, you can learn anything. But I commend you for choosing to go back and really get that I'll say that paper, behind the aspect of the education and spending the time right the time and your resources to get that music degree, especially hearing the humble beginnings in which you started from.

Speaker 2:

And nobody in my family had ever had a college degree, so it was I was the first one in my family to have one, so yeah, Awesome.

Speaker 1:

Well, congratulations to you. I'm sure that's a huge deal. And again, it changes the trajectory for the family, right? It's something that breaks as we talk about, like those spiritual battles that we fight. Right, it breaks those generational curses and says, hey, I'm going to be the one to do this.

Speaker 2:

I've got a nephew right now that I'm really talking to and he's inspired me now. So he's a young guy, he's going to take it on, he's going to the seminary, you know, for four years, and so I'm just, you know, encouraging him. His mom was the mom I told you about my sister, you know, for overdosing. So that's her boy, and to see him doing what he's going to do, she'd be so proud.

Speaker 1:

Wow, wow, that's so touching, so touching. Well, michael, I know that our time is running short. There's only so much time we get in these podcasts, but I do want to say you know, I know you talked about that you're working on this. I mean, you've written the songs for it, others are singing it, but tell us a little bit more about what's coming up next for you and definitely how we can stay connected. How can we follow you, how can we support you? How can we get your music?

Speaker 2:

All right. So for the rock band for Matinee, you can find me at matineerocks and there's videos on YouTube under Matinee Music. We've got a YouTube channel there. It's doing pretty good. You can find me on Instagram at Matinee Band. I've got a Facebook page. We're out there. Anybody can reach out to me on Messenger anytime. The band I think we're going to be in I think we're going to Florida in May. We're doing a festival there in Orlando and they get more information on the website about that, and I know that we got a thing in Houston in May. We we're gonna be getting out some this summer. We we've not got out. My band is based in austin and I'm here in virginia, so it's kind of tough to look back. We'll probably be getting out this summer and stuff. So yeah, check us out please awesome.

Speaker 1:

I love it and you know I am a te Texas girl. I'm right here in Texas, so I'm so excited to hear Austin it's coming this way. Houston, I've been the Dallas Fort worth area, but there's nothing like hopping in a car and taking a drive for some good music.

Speaker 2:

Great, great, yeah, that's. That's very cool. Just stay in touch and I'll let you know when we're going to be that way Absolutely Well, I love it.

Speaker 1:

Michael, I want to thank you for jumping on being a part of our podcast, even just sharing your story of how God has walked with you through life and the struggles and impacted you, and how you are using that to also just impact others, and so thank you again for being on today, for having me Absolutely, absolutely, oh, it's been my pleasure. I look forward to, uh, catching some of your music performances, especially here in texas. But, listeners, I do want to encourage you um, matney, go check out matney rocks. Um, he has some amazing music there that you would enjoy, and, as always, we want to support the community that's advancing the kingdom of God, and so let's do what we can to be of support. Again, thank you for being on. Listeners, thank you for tuning in. As always, you know, graceville Community is a space where we desire to inspire and encourage you to be a part of community that is doing and learning about the kingdom of God, and so, if you are looking for community anywhere throughout the global, we are here for you. We do have an online community base and we would love to connect you with a word teaching community near you, and so feel free to reach out gracefieldcommunitycom. Take care. Thanks again, michael. Bye, nicole. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Gracefield Community Podcast. We would like to invite you to visit gracefieldcommunitycom.

Speaker 1:

Gracefield Community is all about doing church the way Church of Acts did, using five main principles that we see in the book of Acts Sharing resources, as believers pooled their possessions and resources to support those in need, as we see in Acts 2.44. As we see in Acts 2.44. Through hospitality the early Christians practiced hospitality by opening their homes to others, as we see in Acts 2.46. By financial aid the church in Antioch sent financial aid to believers in Judea during a time of famine, as described in Acts 11 and 29. Prayer and encouragement they supported each other through prayer and encouragement, as we see in Acts 4 and 24. And finally, spiritual guidance the apostles and elders provided spiritual guidance and teaching to help strengthen and build the community, as we see in Acts 15 30. I would like to encourage you. If any of those areas are areas in which you are in need or can contribute, please reach out to Graceville Community. We are working together across the world with ministries and individuals alike, to help bring back the Church of Acts.

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Nicole Cater

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