Matthew West Reveals How He Got Started in Music: ‘A Late Bloomer’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Christian musician Matthew West recently opened up about how he got started in music during his annual Come Home for Christmas weekend.
“With the conclusion of the 2nd annual Come Home For Christmas weekend, I think it’s safe to claim this Christmas Season in full swing! Thank you to the incredible personnel who worked harder than all of Santa’s elves to bring the beauty of this season to life,” he posted on Instagram following the event.
During a Q&A session, he shared how he discovered his musical talent.
“What is your process for learning guitar? Who taught you?” one gentleman asked.
“My process of learning the guitar—I was actually a bit of a late bloomer musically because I was more focused on sports in school,” West admitted. “And when I realized I wasn’t going to be a professional baseball player, I decided to shift my focus and I really just took to music.”
“But I never really played an instrument until I was 17, my senior year of high school,” he said. “My dad bought me a guitar, and I still have that first guitar. I taught myself how to play basically. I got a poster from Walmart, and it was called ‘The Chord Finder,’ it was basically all of these little numbers, and it showed you where to put your fingers to play different chords.”
West added that because he was a freshman in college and didn’t know many people, he stayed in his room and learned to play guitar.
“With every new chord that I learned, I wrote a new song,” he shared.
He added that he trained in music during college, which accelerated his learning.
As friends caught wind of his talent, he began performing. “That inspired me to keep writing more and more,” he explained.
West continues to create new music. He released “Because of Bethlehem” in October.
“This song was inspired by a book written by one of my favorite authors, @maxlucado. It’s because of Bethlehem and the birth of a savior that we can experience joy, love, peace, and even the hope of eternity,” he said. “I love this song so much, and I hope you will too. And don’t worry, I know Thanksgiving is still around the corner. There will be plenty of time for Gobble Gobble. I just couldn’t wait to share this new one with you all. We need some hope in our world right now. And Jesus is our hope!”
Movieguide® previously reported on West:
Grammy-nominated Christian artist Matthew West opened up about the hot-button theme of identity in his latest hit song “You Changed My Name.”
“Are we not in a world right now that is completely obsessed with identity–and, moreover, with taking the power into our own hands to create and recreate our identity?” West said. “And this song is just a powerful truth that you are who God says you are.”
The song describes the transformative spiritual life found in Christ (“You changed my name, from too far gone to saved by grace”) and tells the believer, “I don’t have to answer to any name but chosen child of God.”
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