Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Bernard.
Matthew, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in the #1 entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles California. Unlike my peers, I didn’t grow up listening to west coast music. From the womb, I was raised on Motown and music from the ’70s. My parents immediately knew I had an old soul when I could ride across the country with them listening to oldies and not complain. Music flowed in my veins before I even knew it, it would be my life. I remember listening to the radio at 10 years old and hearing a voice say “You can play that song on the piano.” I hadn’t laid a finger on a piano since my mom put me in piano lessons at the age of six. I heard the same voice say “Grab your that old Casio keyboard and figure out the song by listening.” The song had been off for some minutes by the time I grabbed the keyboard but the melody was still in my head. So, I obeyed the voice and figured the song out within an hour or so. After a while, I kept hearing songs that I felt like I could play and figured them out by ear. I know for a fact that voice was God.
When I got comfortable enough, I took my talents to my home church where I would be the only musician for six years. At age 13, I made my first instrumental thanks to my science teacher, Charles Lemle, who was also a musician. It never crossed my mind until he said: “Matt, why don’t you make your own beats?” That night I made my first beat on my Casio keyboard and had to voice record it to save it. That moment, I knew I wanted to become a Grammy-winning music producer. Throughout middle and high school, I played in every band possible: Rock, Jazz, Choir, Marching Band, Concert Band, Wind Symphony, and Electronic Music Ensemble. My gift was validated when my music teacher, Maestro Delbert Taylor, in the 7th grade pulled my mom to the side and said: “He has a God-given gift.” During my free time, I produced for every local artist possible. At the time, the “Jerk” era was at its peak on the West coast so I took advantage and worked with these artists to get my name out there. I produced a 5 track EP titled “Ima Dweeb” for a Jerk group called “The Nutty Profe$$orz” in which I produced all the music, recorded all vocals, and mixed the entire thing at just 15 years old. It was also this same season that I birthed my producer name “MTech.”
After high school, I attended Full Sail University in Winter Park, Fl to pursue my Bachelors. My 2nd month there, I connected with legendary R&B producer Troy Taylor via twitter and he became my mentor. Between the knowledge, I obtained from the coursework and the experience from Troy, my production changed dramatically. Over the course of three years, I traveled with a few bands as a keyboardist and made sure I was present on Sundays at my cousin’s church “Speak The Truth Ministries” to play keys. I produced for artists that I met in school and built relationships that still last today. Once I graduated with my BS in Recording Arts in October of 2014, I decided I would move to ATL to further pursue my dreams.
A year prior to officially moving, I visited ATL for a week and caught a vibe I never felt before. There was a drive here that I couldn’t deny. I met Rotimi during this trip and another songwriter named Chase who was working on music at the time and was immediately inspired. I also visited Patchwerk Studios and sat in on a session. Needless to say, I had to move here. Once I got here, it wasn’t easy and I didn’t expect it to be. I had to get my name out there by going to the studio every chance that I got. I already had the knowledge, but I had to be in the room to receive the opportunity. Eventually, I met artists and songwriters that I would engineer and produce for. These relationships grew over time and after much prayer, hard work, & perseverance, in 2017, I landed my first major placement with Fox on a show called “Star”. Since then, I’ve gathered a few more placements, worked on shows such as “The Four Season 2: Battle for Stardom” and built relationships throughout the industry. I’m currently a part of a powerful church ministry at The Rhema Church of Atlanta where I play keys every Sunday. I’m also very involved in the afrobeat scene working with artists such as Diddi Emah, Sammyvoa, & Toyé. Atlanta has been very good to me and I don’t see myself going anywhere any time soon.
Has it been a smooth road?
This road has been nothing close to smooth. After my parents divorced, my mom was left to raise my younger sister and me for a period of time. At one point we were homeless, sleeping on the carpet of our cousin’s spot. But I still had my keyboard so I would practice and come up with ideas before and after school. I didn’t have any production software yet, so I would voice record all my ideas. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that I got pro tools and reason. I used to set up two mattresses side by side just to get a decent vocal recording. Once I got to my dream college across the country, I quickly found out that rent was an enemy of progress… especially while in school. But that was nothing compared to what happened my last year of college. My laptop with all of my schoolwork and music was stolen from my vehicle. It was a complete nightmare but by faith and a little help from family, I was still able to finish school on time with a 3.4 GPA. With no placements yet, I drove to Atlanta and went into grind mode. Thankfully my cousin had an extra room so I moved in with her but I needed a job asap. I had nothing saved so I started working at the Cheesecake Factory in Lenox Mall as a busser six days a week. Then, I found a church in Kennesaw, Sardis Missionary Baptist Church, that was looking for a pianist/music director which took up 2-3 days out of the week. Any “free” time was spent making music or recording artists at Troy’s studio. I didn’t get much sleep and many times I just ate the free soup at work to save money. This went on for a couple of years. I felt discouraged plenty of times. There were many nights that I sacrificed sleep making quality music just to hear “This is dope!” but it never being used. Many tracks were recorded to but never made it on a project. I spent days tweaking and revising tracks just for the artist to go with a completely different idea that wasn’t mine. I quickly learned that it was a part of the game but I couldn’t give up. That would be the only difference between myself and the next person. Eventually, success would break through the door and it did.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with MTech Music – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
I am a one stop shop when it comes to anything dealing with audio production. Whether it’s music production, piano performance, tracking, mixing, or live sound engineering, I can get the job done. I’m well known for my ear and being able to give clients exactly what they ask for. Out of everything that I do, I specialize in music composition. You can guarantee your music will be well produced. As a company, I am most proud of the professional credentials that I have obtained over the years. What sets me apart is my versatility. There’s a reason I don’t put a specific genre in front of my title “producer.” I’ve played in enough bands and studied a wide range of music that allows me to produce multiple genres.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I absolutely love the fact that people just want to work and help each other in the process. Being from a city like Los Angeles, there are many egos and paranoia that someone is out to steal from you. Out there, it’s about “who do you know?” and if you don’t know them, your talent isn’t validated. In Atlanta, the odds of someone taking a chance on you are higher. But you’d better be ready to present your best.
Most people would probably say they dislike the traffic out here but coming from LA, it’s a slight upgrade. I will say the roads are terrible. My vehicle is TIRED, lol.
Pricing:
- Piano Performance – $300
- Music Production – $500 minimum
- Live Musical Arrangement – $650 minimum
- Live Sound Engineer – $250
- Mixing – $325
- Mixing (vocals only) – $200
- Recording – $40/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mtechmusic.com
- Email: mtechtheproducer@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mtechmusic
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mtechmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mtechmusic
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
