A Sound Salvation
One of my first memories is related to music; sitting in the back seat of my parents’ car while they listened to songs on cassette. My mom talked about how much she liked Gene Simmons from KISS and the recent passing of Tupac and Biggie Smalls. I probably wasn’t much older than six at the time, however, the memory of how silent both my parents were as they listened, the hushed excitement of their conversation after each song, the static shuffle of dashboard buttons, or the warm whir of a tape has been embedded in my mind ever since. My parents would often take my siblings and me on late-night drives to nowhere peppered with gas station convenience store stops and constant streams of music; simply for leisure. Since then, music and the visuals behind releases have deeply shaped my perspective and understanding of culture. Music has been the bedrock of my solace in this world. When I have felt the familiar sting of loneliness or pain, I have a record I can return to or a song that feels like a beloved article of clothing lost after years of abandonment; a cozy sweater on a cold day, a smile that reminds you of how much your space in the universe is felt. Those late-night drives with my parents, where music filled the car like a living, breathing entity, had always taught me something profound: sound could be more than entertainment – it could be a map to understanding ourselves. When I first heard those sounds, I was chasing something more than just melodies. I sought connection, authenticity, and a way of understanding the world beyond mere listening.
Today, I’ve learned that some stories are written in silence, and some connections are forged between the notes most people never hear.
The first time music changed how I felt about myself, as an entity, was when I first heard the Beatles in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. When Ferris, played by Matthew Broderick, takes over a parade marching through the streets of Chicago, I knew I would never be the same. I not only wanted to be a leader in my own life but I felt a higher calling to be a part of something that connected people on the molecular level; regardless of where they came from or how they identified themselves in society. Ferris lip-syncs to Twist and Shout, the crowd immediately turns raucous, and everyone in the film dances to the same song with the same fevered energy that electrified my soul. Through the act of playing music, we can form an identity. Through that identity, we cultivate a link to generations of connections much greater than ourselves. I felt as if I had unlocked one of life’s secret passageways. I knew who I was through one song. One fleeting moment in time.
As a product of the fabled 1990s, the Spice Girls and their music taught me much about femininity and sisterhood. The power of individualism and unity as women can not be understated. As with many other females of my generation, their music brought an innate obsession with fashion, though it was the music video for Intergalactic by the Beastie Boys which kicked that quest into overdrive. I distinctly remember sitting on the carpet in front of the television watching Much Music (Canada’s version of MTV) while adding vibrant hues to a coloring book’s pages, when I first heard the scratches of a turntable. Looking up at the screen I vividly recall staring at a makeshift robot, much like the TV Halloween costume my stepdad had made for me from cardboard boxes and silver spray paint that year. The sound was infectious and the music video curious, it was probably the first time I saw a fish eye lens perspective but it completely altered my developing viewpoint. The vignettes of smaller stories surrounding the broader one in the time cap of a music video have always piqued my interest, I am most always affected by the minute details in art, so seemingly insignificant that the casual viewer passes them by. I became so enthralled with everything to do with the Beastie Boys and hip-hop that I would visit the public library perusing coffee table books on the subject. The Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, Missy Elliott, and their contemporaries became a wellspring of inspiration. From there I spent every summer of high school pooling money with friends to somehow make the pilgrimage to the Vans Warped Tour, where I eventually discovered classic rock and my style became unapologetically my own.
Through the discovery of music and a prolific number of genres, subcultures, and styles I knew that whatever I decided to do with my life had to be creative. It may not be music but it had to involve the same degree of passion and stylistic approach as music. I’ve also always sensed that I hoped whomever I shared my life with would at least be musically inclined, more so than myself. I am particularly fortunate in that sense. My partner is a musically gifted artist who has reinvigorated my sense of wonder in music – a continuation of the creative journey I have been exploring since those childhood car rides and formative musical discoveries. Over the last couple of years, I have had the pleasure of hearing ideas in their genesis, in passing, and bearing witness to their realization from a mumble to a triumphant jubilation. From their productions to collaborations, seeing his setup in the pocket studio or picking him up from an evening of engaging work at a professional studio to then finding ourselves sitting in his car listening to the raw stages of each new song at different levels of creation has made me feel a deeper connection to music and the appreciation of how it is conceived. Watching the progression has superseded my experiences as a curator or music appreciator but expanded my intimate knowledge of music as an art form and what makes a musician an artist. The efforts behind the scenes and in the business of independent music illuminate how nuanced and important the fruits of this labor truly are. I met my partner through school but it is through music and style that we came to know one another.
TyMatts is one of the most influential people in my life, embodying the passionate creative spirit I've been yearning to understand since the first stirrings of my artistic consciousness. He reminds me that ambition, a genuine love for one’s craft, and the ability to grow through mediums and share this love of personal evolution to motivate and empower people is the point of life. He is symbolic of the counterculture of mainstream society. His ethos is the antithesis of the instant gratification of an impulsive and convenience-based zeitgeist that permeates most of our lives. He consciously chooses the artist’s path; the highly complex and absorptive practice of playing the long game and working hard after hours, when the everyday person has clocked out, or rising early when the day has barely started for most is a practice not only evident in his music but which has a lasting impression on the real lives of those around him, especially me.
It’s been a unique privilege to exist behind the scenes and feel immersed in a mode of creative expression that requires unwavering dedication, commitment, and persistence. Ty’s approach to music mirrors his approach to life: patient, purposeful, and deeply genuine. It’s not just about creating songs; it’s about crafting experiences that resonate between notes, in the still moments when music becomes memory.
TyMatts and Dre Delamar are CAPAWAV, emerging from the same musical journey that has threaded through my life since those first crackling cassette tapes in my parents’ car. Their self-titled EP and new video for 55 are more than just musical releases – they are living proof of how music connects us, transforms us, and gives voice to the stories we carry within. Over the last year, I have watched this early preview take shape and it's been a true delight. In their work, I see the culmination of everything music has taught me: that our most meaningful connections happen in the quiet moments between sounds, in genuine exchanges that reveal who we are. And now, as I reflect on this journey—from those first tapes to witnessing the emergence of CAPAWAV—I'm reminded that music is never static, but always evolving, always inviting us to listen, learn, and grow.