Matt Quinn in Mt. Joy: Getting Past the Barriers

Mt. Joy is an indie-folk rock band that has erupted into the global music scene. The two first major players in the band were Matt Quinn (vocals and guitar) and Sam Cooper (guitar). They went to high school together, and their adult life naturally brought them back together, and they decided to pursue their musical ambitions. The band added Sotiris Eliopoulos (drums), Jackie Miclau (piano), and Michael Byrnes (bass) to create what they are today, Mt. Joy. 

Matt Quinn, the singer in the band, was originally in law school and writing music on the side. He didn't see a reality in pursuing music as a full time career because he didn't think he can sustain a living off of it. When the song "Astrovan" was released and was received with quite the praise, he decided he can maybe take a shot at pursuing music full time. Though he was hesitant, he dropped out of law school and pursued music full time... and thank goodness he did. 

Mt. Joy has made some incredible hits such as "Silver Lining", "Dirty Love", "Strangers", and so many more. Everyone in the band collaborates to write music, but Matt Quinn is the main writer for the band. When writing music, Quinn always focuses on the personal. He can only write about situations or events that he has personally experienced. Quinn finds comfort in embracing vulnerability and expressing the internal in his music. He always writes about what personally moves him. This creative process is really shown in one of the band's hit song "Strangers", when embraces his new life after his breakup and what that might look like for him: 

Well I guess I'll have to fall in love with strangers

Ride through New York City like I'm famous 

And if our lives don't work then we can change 'em

Lord knows we'll change, love will rearrange us, like 

If you want freedom, you better free someone 

Better not run when I'm hanging on, like 

If you want freedom, you better free someone

Better not run when I'm blind

In the song, Quinn talks about his move to New York after a breakup with a longtime girlfriend. He embraces the idea of the new single life and gives his breakup a positive outlook.

The struggles that Quinn first faced in committing to a music career full time reminded me of the struggles Doudna faced when first displaying an interest in pursuing a chemistry degree in college as mentioned in The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson. Doudna was more than capable of pursuing a degree in chemistry, but her high school counselor pushed her away from it. He remarked "'Girls don't do science"'(Isaacson, page 30). Her competitive nature took this as a challenge and she made quite a mark in the science community. Additionally, like Quinn, Doudna pursued research in CRISPR because of the personal. She had a deep passion for creating something that could help people who are prone to certain viruses or diseases. Quinn and Doudna both had to get past their barriers and push through to communicate and help others in their unique ways.