Last Wednesday, St. Dominic alum, Nashville recording artist and American Idol Season 12 contestant Matt Wynn sang the national anthem before the St. Louis Blues game.

Matt scored the gig in a very unique way. In early 2019, he was playing a show at Stifel Theater in St. Louis when a man came up to him and told him he really enjoyed his set.

“The one question he had was if I was a Predators fan or a Blues fan since he knew I lived in Nashville. I responded by saying, ‘Well I like the Preds, but I’m a Blues fan at heart. Always have been.’ And the man responded by saying, ‘Well, I’m very glad to hear that! Nice to meet you, my name is Chris Zimmerman, the president of the St. Louis Blues,’” Matt said.

After Matt’s initial surprise, he has become good friends with Chris and his family throughout the past year. He’s been able to work with Chris, his wife Emily and the St. Louis Blues in many different ways. He even played music at a welcome party for Chris’s daughter Katie’s wedding.

On the big night, when  the Zambonis finished cleaning the ice after warmups, Matt had a touch of nerves but was super excited to conquer the challenge of the National Anthem, especially in front of a huge crowd.

“I’m not really one of those people or performers that gets nervous very often. I’m pretty good at keeping out of my own head… If you think too much, then that’s when you get nervous, and it’s harder to execute when it comes time to take the stage… With that being said, sometimes you’re going to get a little nervous, but that just means you care,” Matt said.

As wonderful as nailing the Anthem felt, Matt’s favorite part of the experience came after his performance. All the pictures and videos shared on social media, along with fans and staff of the Blues coming up to him and sharing their love of his performance, was touching.

“Feeling all that love and appreciation is something I will never forget… It means more than I could ever say, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity,” Matt said.

Matt has definitely made it as a Nashville recording artist, and he would love to see other St. Dominic students and alums be successful in the field.

“The music industry is a HARD industry to work in, no matter what you do. It’s going to take a lot of work, time, dedication and sacrifice to achieve what you’re trying to. Talent is only one small piece of the puzzle. The more important pieces are how hard you work, what kind of person you are and how you treat people,” Matt said.

To make it, you will have to make some sacrifices such as moving away from friends and family to be near Nashville, Los Angeles, Atlanta or New York City. You also have to be called to become a musician, or you will never find the strength to keep pushing when you are rejected.

“Hold on to your faith in God and surround yourself with good people that care about you, because those are the people that are going to make sure you don’t lose yourself in the process of achieving your goals. Bottom line is, even with all of these things, you have got to be called to be in this industry… It’s a lifestyle, not a job. Most importantly, I would say if you want to make it in this industry, there can’t be a Plan B. Your Plan B has to be making Plan A work,” Matt said.

Whether or not you are thinking of going into the music industry, make sure you never lose enjoyment in what you’re doing and always remember the reason you got into that field in the first place. If you do, there will be beautiful outcomes, as Matt’s music and recent performance at the Blues game displays.