Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Griswold
Hi Matthew, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was always into music, even as a small child. My mother was a piano player, and loved playing hymns and Christmas carols during cleaning breaks. I used to love listening when she did that, and I’d stop whatever I was doing when I heard her start playing. Sometimes, I’d even sneak out of my bedroom at night, and eaves drop on her from the shadows of our staircase. Once or twice, I even fell asleep doing that, and it sort of blew my cover.
My dad was a small town radio DJ when I was born, and had a very large record and tape collection that I endlessly “borrowed” from. So, I had a lot of exposure to so many different styles of music, and I truly grew to appreciate just about everything I ever heard.
For the first half of my childhood, my parents didn’t really have the economic means to let my siblings and I get involved with music, or take lessons. I could always tell that they carried some guilt around that though. Once I turned 15, I had been bugging them for a guitar for so long, that they finally got me one for Christmas. It was a day I’ll never forget! It was like a door had been opened and I could finally walk through it!
I never took any lessons, but I started practicing for hours and hours on my own, and literally every day. I couldn’t put it down! Not long after I started making it sound half ways decent, I discovered my voice as both a singer and a songwriter. Then it was game on!
There wasn’t much about me I ever felt was very “marketable”, so I didn’t really have dreams about being a “star”. I just loved writing and playing so much, that I knew I wanted to do it as a career in some fashioned. This outlook came in handy later in life, as I learned that it really helps to be open minded about opportunities. It truly has always been a privilege for me to get to make music, and so far I haven’t forgotten that.
I turned to music very heavily after I fought in Iraq, and with some good fortune, at the end of my enlistment I was offered a publishing deal. Shortly aggressively that started playing live gigs on a weekly basis. Somehow, I’ve kept that going for 15 years now without ever having to get a “real job”.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Most of the biggest hurdles I’ve had were personal. I’ve struggled with depression all my life, and with PTSD since my time in the military. Music plays such an important role in managing those things, that my primary focus is usually my own health and well being.
I have certainly dealt with my share of rejection over the years, but because of my relationship with music, I don’t generally take those kinds of things too personally.
I once had a radio DJ from Minneapolis tell me “your music’s not bad, but you look too much like a varsity football player for anyone to take seriously”. That certainly felt like a punch to the gut, but since then, I just remind myself that some people are just going to look for things to dislike no matter what. When I encounter these situations, I find it’s best to just move on from them rather than try and “win them over” or change their mind. So far it’s worked pretty good!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
For the last 15 years, I’ve been signed to publishing/sync licensing deal, and I’ve since had hundreds of song placements in TV and film. Recently, a song of mine had a star placement in one of Netflix’s most popular shows, “Sweet Magnolias”. I’ve also had songs in the Discovery Channel’s “Expedition Unknown”, NBC’s “Today Show”, and a season trailer for “New Amsterdam”. I had no idea this was something I could ever do when I first started writing songs, but it’s been such a perfect fit for my style of writing. It was truly a serendipitous opportunity and my entire career has been built on it.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Keep an open mind! There may just be opportunities that you don’t even know exist. Don’t be afraid to step out of your “comfort zone”, because you might find that it’s far more comfortable there than you thought it would be.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.matthewgriswoldmusic.net
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/matthewgriswoldmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthewgriswoldmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-U2kAyIf0LfMM4jFxtMOuw
