- Ben

The Musical Alaskan
by Ben Hendler

         When you look at Mattox Metcalf you probably see a normal man who has kids and now lives very similarly to the way you do, but when you take the time to sit down and watch what he does, one begins to realize that there is so much more to be seen.
         Metcalf grew up in the village of Savagoona, Alaska, which is located on an island only 35 miles away from Russia. He was raised just like anyone else, but there was something special: the implication music had on his life.
         The music that has made an impact on Metcalf’s life, Alaskan tribal music, consists of singing and dancing. “Anyone can write a song,” Metcalf said. Not only is the affect that music has had on his life rather different, the music itself is unique. When you hear the words to a song of this type, you would most likely think it was gibberish. This is partially correct; the sounds used in tribal music are not actually words, they are sounds that are used to express different emotions. Really appreciating this music is not as much about understanding the song as it is about feeling the song and listening to the story that is being told.
         When Metcalf was old enough to go to school, he attended school in Nome, Alaska, but continued to spend his summers at home in Savagoona. When asked about how he came to be interested in music, Metcalf refers to his childhood and upbringing. “It has always been a part of my life and a part of my culture. It is something that we do,” Metcalf said.
         Metcalf’s grandfather also played a major role in his continuing interest in music. Metcalf performs many different songs, some of which were written by his grandfather. His grandfathers writing inspired Metcalf to write some of his own songs, although he hasn’t performed any of these on stage yet.  “I’m waiting for the perfect opportunity [to play my own songs],” Metcalf said.
         When you look past the Friday night performances and the fact that he is a composer, and a storyteller, with an amazing journey that brought him all the way from Savagoona to Anchorage, Metcalf is really just a normal guy. For anyone who takes the time to see all of Metcalf, he becomes a lot more.