Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Metzger.
Hi Kevin, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and was exposed to live and improvised music by my parents before I was even out of the womb, which fostered a deep love and appreciation for art and music. By age 14 I was writing and performing my own original music in venues across the greater Central New York area. I went on to earn both a Master of Music degree in Guitar Performance from the New England Conservatory, where I studied with both Eliot Fisk and Dr. Jerome Mouffe, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance from Syracuse University, where I studied with Dr. Kenneth Meyer. Within a year of attaining my masters I lost my best friend to cancer and also was in a horrific car accident that left me needing surgery on my right hand. Feeling directionless, and with a nudge from friends, I moved to Austin from the northeast in 2019. Here I was able to start a new chapter and forge a new path for myself as an artist and educator. In the past 5 years I have had the pleasure of being able to work and make a living as a musician both by myself and with many other different artists, teach to an engaged studio of students, and push my career forward in ways I never thought I could; like being a recipient of the City of Austin’s 2023 Live Music Grant to make a dream album combing Bach and Improvisation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I had a very tough time in the couple years before moving to Austin in 2019. In October 2017, not 6 months after graduating with my masters, I was in a terrible car accident after falling asleep on the interstate. I almost lost the use of my right hand, and needed reconstructive surgery and a lot of physical therapy to be able to play guitar again. A few months later I would also go on to lose my best friend of cancer at the age of 25. During those years I struggled a lot as I felt directionless, grief stricken, and stagnant in a box I found myself. It wasn’t until moving here to Austin that I really felt like I was able to overcome a lot of that trauma and begin a new narrative of who I wanted to be, both as a person and as an artist.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a passionate performer and educator of music. I have been performing music live and in venues since I was a teenager in upstate New York, and that love of music has helped guide me to where I am today. I work as an original artist, but also as a sideman and collaborative musician on guitar and piano. I teach guitar and piano privately, and work as a guitarist for Triumphant Love Lutheran Church in Great Hills. My approach to guitar is an almost-holistic one that stems from my car accident and my desire to bridge my intense classical education with my childhood love of the electric guitar. I was awarded the City of Austin’s 2023 Live Music Grant, which allowed me to produce an innovative live-album and film recording, entitled ‘The Bachian Swing Consort’, blending the traditions of Bach and improvisational music with an international jazz-organ trio and local classical vocalists over two nights in January 2024, to be released in Q2 2025. This year will also see the release of a debut album by ‘The Atonal Guitar Duo’; my contemporary-improvisation duo with electric-guitarist and composer Jared Davis. Last year I released my debut guitar trio album with NY-based artist R. Aaron Walters, and this year I look forward to recording an experimental album of medieval music from the 1300’s with local artist Scuzzy.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I have been very lucky to have had many great mentors and teachers, both abroad and here in town. I think it’s important as musicians to seek out people who inspire you, and try to learn from them. Everyone has unique wisdom they can pass on to you, and it’s always worthwhile to not only take lessons from others, but to put yourself in positions and places where you are around like-minded individuals who appreciate the same sorts of things that you do. Jams, gigs, and auditions can be intimidating, but you can always reach out privately to other artists you admire and politely see if you can find time to chat.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kjmetzgermusic.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjmetzgertar/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089972070788
Image Credits
Chris Castillo, Chelsea Berchon, Patrick Bergemann, and Carly Boomer
