Strumming on the heartstrings of passersby, one Chapel Hill street performer aims to take his music to the next level.
Matt Phillips, a regular on Franklin Street, is making a name for himself as a guitarist and vocalist as he works toward his dream of being a professional musician.
A former student at East Carolina University, Phillips has taken the year off to dedicate himself to his music. Besides street performing, Phillips plays at venues across Greenville, Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill.
“I feel like anything worth doing is worth doing 100 percent,” Phillips said. “And I feel like I have enough talent and enough networking connection to be able to make it work for myself.”
Chapel Hill resident Francis Bayog said it’s street performers like Phillips who enrich the town’s culture.
“I love the atmosphere here and how the community comes together,” Bayog said, gesturing toward Phillips. “It really brings life to the area.”
Since the summer of 2011, Phillips has been bringing his tunes to the corner of Columbia and East Franklin Streets, outside Spanky’s Restaurant and Bar.
Phillips said he enjoys connecting with people through his music and has been warmly welcomed to Chapel Hill.
Once, Phillips said a homeless man gave him a rare Yellow Submarine George Harrison pin from the 1960s.
“That’s one of the things that stuck out to me as a not-so-normal gift but one that I’ll cherish,” Phillips said.
“Sometimes a gift from a homeless person is a more meaningful gift when they don’t have as much to give.”
Outside street performing, Phillips gives private music lessons for drums, guitar, bass, harmonica, and songwriting.
In August 2012, Phillips released his first solo album called Bones, which was named for his desire to produce a bare-bones record highlighting his original songwriting.
Phillips also sings and plays acoustic and electric guitar, keyboard and harmonica in his band, Matt Phillips & The Philharmonic.
The band of five has been writing and performing their original songs since January 2012. The group is currently raising funds to finance their first album, which they will begin recording this month.
Bass guitarist Gregory Williams said he is looking forward to recording the album and sharing their music.
“I hope everyone I know gets a copy and gets to see what we’ve been putting all our time and effort into,” he said.
Travis Huff, who plays saxophone and trombone in the band, said each band member is influenced by different types of music — from reggae to heavy metal.
“We get a nice full, amount of influences coming into each song that really makes us a band,” Huff said.
And come June, Matt and the band will hit the road for a national tour to promote their new album and expand their fan base.
“We hope to have this first tour as a building force for us to help us do it professionally,” Phillips said. “The goal is to be everywhere.”
The band has begun booking performances in North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and California.
But at the end of the day, Phillips said it’s about growing as a band and playing for as many audiences as they can.
“We’re humble guys and we’re just happy to be out there making music,” he said.
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