Matty G the Musician

Ok, to start off this new blogspot page or whatever you call it, I'm re-posting the first ever news story written about me. It's from about 2 years ago and was written by Alana Rome for the school paper at Iona College, where I went to school. I figured it would be a nice introduction for this page. Of course, a lot has happened since October of 2007, but this article covers some of the basics about the whole "Matty G as a One Man Band" origin. Much love:

(this article was featured in The Ionian on 10/11/2007)
"Mr. Iona takes YouTube by storm"
By Alana Rome

Most people know him as Matty G, a nickname he acquired in high school. Others know him as Mr. Iona 2007. Regardless of the name you give him, senior Matt Guarino is one of the most talented men on campus.

If you didn't attend Phi Gamma Chi's Mr. Iona 2007 competition, word of mouth told you Matty G took home the $200 prize and the traditional sash of a pageant winner. What you might not have heard, though, is what earned him first place—his mind boggling ability to perform as a "one-man band."

Matty G has been a self-taught musician since the tender age of ten when he received his first guitar. Eventually obtaining a keyboard and a drum set, Matty G became well-versed in music. In high school, he fooled around with bands, including his own solo project, Bellevue, in 2005.

When Matty G came to Iona College, though, he decided to put his music career aside in light of the new chapter in his life. Since attending Iona, Matt has chosen a major in Marketing and is a member of Iona Players and the Marketing Club. On top of school-related activities, Matt G is also employed at both HOT 97 FM and NEWS 12 Westchester. "[I want to] keep my options open and enjoy my last year at Iona," the 21-year-old said.

Earlier last semester, however, Matty G decided to take all this instrumental skills and combined them into a one-man band. "I had one idea after another," Matty G said regarding how he found the perfect way to play all three instruments at once. Matty G finally formulated a genius plan, fixing a drumstick to the head of his guitar and putting a snare drum on the floor.

Matty G has since performed covers of today's most popular songs. His first YouTube video features "The Legend of Zelda" theme song. At Mr. Iona, Matty G's performance of Nelly Furtado's "Maneater" and P. Diddy's "Last Night" enthralled both the judges and the audience.

Matty's G's YouTube premier with the "Legend of Zelda" paved the way for many other unique covers, such as Rhianna's "Umbrella," which gave him the No. 5 spot on CollegeHumor.com in July 2007. A month previous, Matty G had created a YouTube channel, coining his new name, "Matty G the Musician." "Matty G the Musician" was viewed over 25,000 times in merely three weeks. By August, Matty G became YouTube's 57 Most Subscribed Musician for the Month.

The future looks bright for Matty G with his impending college graduation and his newfound You Tube fame. "I just put up videos for Kanye West and Bon Jovi; I'm higher than ever right now," Matty G said. We can be sure to hear more from the "one-man band," though exactly what we'll hear next remains a mystery. "I like so many different types of music. If I feel like playing a song, I will. I just want to entertain people."