Who Is Matt butler?
“Matt Butler is a brilliant singer songwriter and a deeply honest and honorable man”
“Redemption & hope through song sums it up when I think of Matt Butler.”
— Kevin Lyman, Founder of Vans Warped Tour/Kevin Lyman Group
Matt Butler is a songwriter, poet and storyteller. His solo show Reckless Son tells the story of how his concert at the Albany County Jail led to over 100 performances in jails and prisons across the country. He’s been featured on NPR Morning Edition, The Blue Grass Situation, and PBS with SPIN saying “Butler is doing something special for the American arts” after adding him to their albums and artists of the year lists. He’s performed at events held by The David Lynch Foundation, The Columbia Center For Justice, American Folk Art Museum, National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI), The Caron Foundation and was an inaugural ‘Activist In Residence’ at the Kripalu Center in the Berkshires and Artist In Residence at HB Studio in Manhattan. Along with performing, Matt works as a facilitator and consultant for corporations and non-profits. He is the creator of the Generation S.O.S. Correctional Community Initiative, a program that gives currently incarcerated individuals in recovery from substance use disorder a platform to share their lived experience with the public. He’s written two collections of poetry, The Sonnets Of Becoming and Sonnets Of The Sea.
Contact Matt: Matt@Mattbutlersongs.com
Testimonials
“Matt Butler is a remarkable artist and an inspiring example of someone using their talents to make a real difference. ”
— Natania Hume, Visual and Performing Arts Teacher and Department Head, Williston Northampton School
“I can’t thank Matt enough for the time he spent here at the facility. The way he connected with the students was magical, simply incredible.”
“Matt Butler's impact cannot be measured in these few words. Through his music, lyrics, and his own life experiences, Matt creates an opportunity for those who are incarcerated to experience HOPE.”
— Warden Karen Taylor, Camden County Correctial Facility, NJ
“In a world that promotes self-branding and posturing, Matt uses his skillful storytelling to encourage our young boys to be their authentic selves. With the ability to breathe stillness into a room of high-energy adolescents, Matt got our boys to step out of a world of superficial connections and to dig deeper. ”
— Samara Spielberg, Head of Advisory and Spanish Departments, The Allen-Stevenson School
“Matt Butler can bring a tear to an eye, a smile to a lonely soul, hope for a broken heart, and promise for a better future all in a few words. A modern day musical impressionist. ”
— David Bendeth, Producer/A&R (Paramore, Bruce Hornsby, Cowboy Junkies)
“Matt Butler’s music and story inspired me to use my history of trauma and addiction to write my own music. Since then I’ve written six songs and it’s the best coping skill I’ve developed to express my emotions and temporarily free my soul from these confined walls.”
— TeeJ, Detainee, Chesterfield County Jail
