When Matthew Fry was three-years-old he could hum the National Anthem and imitate a motorcycle shifting gears, according to his father, Elbert. "We knew he had talent."
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When Matthew Fry was three-years-old he could hum the National Anthem and imitate a motorcycle shifting gears, according to his father, Elbert. "We knew he had talent."
Talent enough to perform over last Memorial Day at the famed Carnegie Hall, to write and compose his own music, and eventually record his own CD.
Matthew said he got his ear from his father, who could spot something when it was off even though he couldn’t read a note of music.
"The ham in me I got from my mother," he said. He added that Shirley was a "natural." Her own mother played piano for silent film at the Ritz theater. "She was the driving force."
Force may be the key word. When Matthew was little, he didn’t always want to practice piano. His mother sat by him in the living room with the "Fry swatter."
"I’m so glad she stayed with me," said Matthew.
Others stayed with him as well. He started piano lessons with Jan Johnson of Gallatin when he was seven. When he was nine he began taking lessons from Lucille McDowell from Cameron.
Matthew graduated from Gallatin High School in 1983. His freshman year at college the lessons paid off. He received a piano scholarship from the St. Joseph Area Piano Teachers Association.
Matthew received a degree from MWSC in education. His major emphasis was in vocal music. He studied piano with Jerry Anderson and voice with Frank Thomas while at college, both were music directors at local churches.
During his sophomore year, he decided to switch over to just vocal.
"Voice was so much easier," he said. "It just came naturally."
It was another wise choice. He was the outstanding graduating senior in vocal music in 1988.
Matthew taught junior high and high school vocal music at Caruthersville, Mo., for 12 years. During that time he directed five school plays as extra-curricula.
"I spent most of my 20s and early 30s concentrating on the school kids, local performances, district and state choirs," he said.
A move to North Carolina led him down new and unexpected paths.
Matthew married in August 1998 in Caruthersville. His wife, Debby, was in the microbiology field. They moved to North Carolina because she wanted to get a medical job at Duke University.
Matthew taught high school chorus and drama in Jordan-Mathews High School in Siler, N.C. for six years.
He remained a dedicated teacher. The school of 750 kids named Matthew Teacher of the Year.
But he was also able to branch out.
"In North Carolina, I was able to be around more performance opportunities for myself," said Matthew. "The Duke Chapel Choir opened up doors to other things."
The Duke Chapel Choir of 140 singers has performed in South Africa, Nairobi, Los Angeles and New York. This December, they will tour Spain and sing at Barcelona for New Year’s Eve.
The choir is directed by Rodney Wynkoop, who Matthew says is "one of the best conductors I’ve ever been with."
Director Rodney Wynkoop was selected by Mid-America Productions to be one of their guest conductors to do famous choral programs all year long. He was asked to direct Ralph Vaughn Williams Dona Nobis Pacem.
He got his choice of selecting his own singers or taking what was given him. Mr. Wynkoop selected 175 singers to go. The main groups that went were Matt’s group, Duke Chapel Choir, Choral Society of Duram and the Duke Choral.
The choir sang over last Memorial Day Weekend in Carnegie Hall in New York City. The hall has been host to all the great classical and popular performers at one point or another and is known not just for its beauty and history but also for its fine acoustics.
"It was awesome," said Matthew. "The rehearsal was better, more exciting than the actual performance. Just to walk out on the stage, look out over the entire empty hall. It was really neat."
Matthew is a member of the Vocal Arts Ensemble. Its 32 members are selected mainly from among musicians who have sung in other choral groups under Dr. Wynkoop’s direction.
He has become a regular on the list to sing the national anthem for the Duram Bulls baseball team. He directs two groups in North Carolina <197> Harmony Grits and the Village Voices. Both hale from Fearrington.
Harmony Grits is a men’s group and Village Voices is a ladies group.
"They’re retirement age people in their 60s to 80s," he said. "We perform for nursing homes and senior/retirement communities in the triangle area: Raleigh, Duram and Chapel Hill. We sing Broadway tunes and golden oldies, songs from the 30s-40s and 50s, patriotic and barber shop. It’s fun stuff. We have a good time."
Those two groups meet through the school year. When school is out, December and May, they do a holiday concert, presented at "The Barn," a performance venue at Fearrington Village, which is about 10 miles south of Chapel Hill.
Matthew, recently divorced, lives in Pittsboro with his pug dog, Flee. Flee was named after base guitarist in Red Hot Chili Peppers rock and roll band, not the insect.
His hobbies include golf and riding his Harley (remember those humming noises he made as a kid?)
In high school in Gallatin, Matthew sang with the Christianaires. He was inspired to write contemporary Christian music. He penned his first song in 1985 and he’s been writing original music ever since.
His repertoire includes songs like, "Keep the Dream Alive," which has been performed at every graduation in the schools he’s been at.
He has composed 15 to 20 songs and is hoping to record his own CD soon. Matthew has been visiting his folks, Elbert and Shirley, over the past weeks and gave a program for a lady’s club at Lake Viking where he made his unofficial debut, performing all of his originals.
"They’re love songs, mostly, and inspirational," he said.
Visit the website at vocalartsensemble.org for information on Matthew’s upcoming CD and for recordings released by the Chapel Choir.