Jan. 2nd 2009
Matt Shwachman
By Linnea Sheldon
Matt Shwachman came to Worcester at the tender age of eight years old. He attended Bancroft High School, where he began studying music during senior year. As part of his senior project, he picked up the guitar and also wrote his first song, “Side of the Road.” According to Shwachman, it is a song about finding your dreams and not letting what other people think get in the way of that. “Ironically enough, that is the first song I started getting national attention for,” he said. “It was recently featured on the hit TV show “One Tree Hill,” and is also featured on my new album, “Uncharted Territory,” which is a personal account touching on love, relationships, transformation, existentialism, and spirituality.”
Shwachman graduated from UMass Amherst with a degree in Business Administration, and is currently the Vice President of American Realty, Inc. He continues to focus on his career as a singer-songwriter as well.
After performing as a solo artist for several years, Shwachman decided to expand his musical horizons, creating the Matt Shwachman Band (MSB). The band features Hugh Allen on bass, Dana Bonardi on drums, and Mike Fiore on lead guitar.
“They are all extremely talented musicians as well as awesome guys,” Shwachman said. “We have been touring New England for the last 6-8 months with a focus on Worcester, Boston, and New York, and have already played many of New England’s top club venues, including The Hard Rock Café Boston.”
MSB also had a headlining slot at the Boston Music Festival and performed on the TV show “Backstage.” They also performed in First Night Worcester and are next playing Tammany Hall on Friday, January 2.
Shwachman said that he has always loved the songwriting aspect of what he does. “It’s like putting a puzzle together that is stuck inside your head,” he explained. “Every songwriter knows and loves that moment when you finish a new song and you can’t wait to play it for someone. What inspires me to keep doing it is that I hope I touch people’s lives the way other people’s music has touched mine.”
Shwachman felt differently about performing. “I did not always love to play live,” he confessed. “At the beginning I was encouraged by friends and family to play out. My parents and brother have been extremely supportive and encouraging. My guitar teacher, Rich Falco, head of Jazz Studies at WPI and an instructor at Clemente Music, was also instrumental in getting me to perform for the masses. Rich is an amazing guitarist and teacher as well as a good friend.”
He currently credits his band with giving him the drive and inspiration to perform. “The friendship and band chemistry that I have formed with Hugh, Dana, and Mike has been invaluable in my growth as a musician,” he said. “It is so much fun that I honestly can’t play enough right now, hence our busy schedule.”
Shwachman uses his talents to help out in his community. MSB has performed to help raise money and awareness for some great causes, recently performing and contributing to the Karaoke for a Cause event put on by City Councilor Joff Smith and Channel 3’s Jen Roy.
Shwachman’s plans for the future include touring and performing live with MSB as much as possible. For upcoming dates, visit www.myspace.com/mattshwachman and www.mattshwachman.com. MSB are also in the studio working on their first group CD, tentatively titled “Are You Prepared,” which is due out in the fall of ’09.
