At the age when most of his peers are listening to Evanescence, D12, or Usher, 20 year old "Road Warrior" Matt Barber is a throwback to a kinder, gentler era. Matt was born in Peoria, Illinois where he spent his childhood. Growing up, music was always a major part of his life. Matt began his musical journey at the age of 10, heavily influenced by acts such as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, The Beach Boys, The Carpenters, and later soloists to include Brian Wilson, Barry Manilow, and Michael Buble. At a young age, Matt was exposed to many types of music, listening to his dad, a DJ on Quad Cities radio station KUUL-FM. He secretly dreamed of someday performing professionally and recording his own album. Throughout school, Matt was involved in choirs and loved singing more than anything. It was finally time to take the first bold step.
In 2003, at the age of 16, with the help of producer friend David Saelens, Matt’s dream came true when he released his debut album "Easy Autumn," a collection of Easy Listening music. The next year was spent working on new material and deciding whether or not to record a new album and begin performing full time. In June 2004, Matt completed his second album "Peaches and Cream," a collection of fun, upbeat music and loves songs from the heart. Through his senior year of High School, Matt began to hewn his craft by performing at every opportunity, from coffee houses, to bookstores, to malls, to retirement centers. Wherever it was, Matt was there to deliver uplifting songs about love and happy times, through his powerful, yet soft and heart-warming vocals. From attending school during the day and performing on a regular basis at night, to planning his first major US Tour, it was a busy and exciting year.
In June 2005, Matt released his fourth album, "Let's Keep In Touch," an album dedicated to Matt's graduating class. "My goal with each project is to make it better than the previous one. I feel the new album is superior both musically, vocally, and production wise. It's fun and relaxing, innocent, and yet not too serious. I'm very proud of it." This album is my best work to date. Matt's show, also known as "The Matt Barber Experience" consists of "fun, upbeat, and relaxing music from the heart." He describes the music as a blend of Easy Listening, Soft Rock, Jazz, and Caribbean.
With a variety of original music and popular favorites spanning the past four decades, including music by Barry Manilow, Frankie Valli, Frank Sinatra to Sting and Michael Buble, Matt provides an extensive repertoire of music making for a fun, relaxing, and interesting experience. In 2005 Matt completed a 10 state tour across the U.S., performing at over 100 different venues including cities like Des Moines, Omaha, Denver, Albuquerque, Phoenix, Las Vegas, L.A., San Diego, San Francisco, and Sacramento. The tour was a huge success and a career milestone for Matt. "You just have to get out there and go after your dream." In 2006, Matt toured the entire East Coast from Florida to Maine and has been working hard "pounding the pavement." It has not always been a bed of roses for Matt but he enjoys traveling and seeing the country. Matt is truly passionate about performing, singing, and writing music and has put everything on the line to make his dream a reality. “When I perform, I hope to bring some happiness to people and make their evening a little more enjoyable. If I can help people forget about their problems and feel uplifted, even for one evening, then I’ve done my job.”
While Matt currently performs solo, he delivers a huge sound. It's unique, unlike much of the music you'll hear being performed these days or on the radio. It's basically music that makes you feel good. In 2007 Matt has continued to tour relentlessly - from L.A. to New York, and everywhere in between. Besides touring the country, a new album is in the works. On November 30th, Matt will release "Romancing Nashville", a collection of Jazz/Easy Listening and Pop standards from the 1940s through the 1990s, recorded and produced in Nashville, TN. Matt's albums are available at CDbaby.com online, and at his shows. “I hope those who hear the music will feel uplifted."
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