 Matthew
Miller was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania on June 30th 1979, corresponding
to the Jewish date of the 5th of Tamuz 5740. Shortly after his birth, the Miller
family moved to Berkeley, CA and eventually settled in White Plains, NY. Growing
up, Matisyahu's parents sent him to Hebrew School a couple of times a week, but
like many kids, he resisted the additional school hours and was frequently
threatened with expulsion for disrupting the lessons.
By the age of 14, Matthew Miller slid comfortably into the laid-back lifestyle
of a teenage hippie. Having fallen in with the "Dead-Head" crowd, he grew
dreadlocks and wore his Birkenstocks all winter long. He played his bongos in
the lunchroom and learned how to beat-box in the back of class. By 11th grade,
despite his carefree days, Matisyahu couldn't ignore the void in his life. After
nearly burning down his chemistry class, he knew his mission must begin
immediately. He decided to set off on a camping trip in Colorado. Away from his
suburban life in White Plains, Matisyahu had the opportunity to take an
introspective look at himself and contemplate his environment. It was there in
the awe-inspiring landscape of the Rocky Mountain's, that Matisyahu had an
eye-opening realization: there is a G-d.
 After Colorado, his spiritual curiosity piqued and Matisyahu took his first trip
to Israel. There, for the first time in his life, he felt a connection to the
G-d he discovered in Colorado. Israel was a major turning point. Matisyahu
relished the time he spent there, praying, exploring, and dancing in Jerusalem.
In every nook he encountered, his dormant Jewish identity stirred into
consciousness.
Leaving Israel proved to be a difficult transition. Once back in White Plains,
Matisyahu didn't know how to maintain his new connection with Judaism. Feeling
dejected, he fatefully dropped out of high school and began following Phish on a
national tour. On the road, Matisyahu thought seriously about his life, his
music, and his thirst for Judaism.
After a few months, burnt out and broke, he returned home. By this time his
parents insisted that Matisyahu go and "straighten" himself out at a wilderness
school in Bend, Oregon. The school encouraged artistic pursuits and Matisyahu
took advantage of this time to delve further into his music. He studied up on
reggae and hip-hop. He attended a weekly open-mic where he rapped, sang,
beat-boxed, and did almost anything he could to stay creatively charged. It was
then that he started to develop the unique reggae-hip hop sound for which he
would one day become known.
After 2 years in the "sticks," the 19-year old Matisyahu returned to New York a
changed man. He moved to the city to attend The New School where he continued
honing his musical craft, and also dabbled in the theater. During this time, he
happened on the Carlebach Shul, a synagogue on the Upper West Side, well known
for its hippie-friendly vibe and exuberant singing. This encounter further
fueled his soul-fire, turning him on to the mystical power of song in Hasidic
Judaism. Now, instead of beat boxing in the back of the classroom, he was
leaving the classroom to pray on the school's roof. (Religious or not, this guy
ain't made for the classrooms.)
While studying at New School, Matisyahu wrote a play entitled "Echad" (One). The
play was about a boy who meets a Hasidic rabbi in Washington Square Park and
through him becomes religious. Shortly after the play's performance, Matisyahu's
life strangely imitated his art. Indeed, years after the initial sparks were
lit, Matisyahu met a Lubavitch rabbi in the park, spurring his transformation
from Matthew to Matisyahu.
A person who was once skeptical of authority and rules, Matisyahu began to
explore and eventually fully take on the Lubavitch Hasidic lifestyle. He thrived
on the discipline and structure of Judaism, making every attempt to abide by
Jewish Law. The Chabad-Lubavitch philosophy proved to be a powerful guide for
Matisyahu. It surrounded him with the spiritual dialogue and intellectual
challenge he had been seeking for the past decade. The turmoil and frustration
of his search subsided, and now, 2 years later, Matisyahu lives in Crown
Heights, splitting his time between the stage and his yeshiva.
Combining the sounds of Bob Marley and Shlomo Carlebach, yet remaining wholly
original, Matisyahu's performance is an uplifting, powerful experience for all
in his presence. Even the most pessimistic in his audience is inspired by his
ability to so honestly convey such a delicate, topic as faith/spirituality. It
is his dedication to his belief and openness to others that compels one to
respect his artistry and message. It's in that fleeting moment when our
skepticism melts and our souls open up, that Matisyahu enters with his booming
sound of faith. |
