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Singing life

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BY CHERYL BENTLEY

SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF

Published: May 24, 2008

Give "Steady" Matt Forsythe a guitar and a few minutes of silence, and he will begin strumming away, singing a song about the happenings of only seconds ago.

That's because writing songs is a long-time custom. He has been writing them since childhood.

Forsythe and his guitar will appear tonight at The Witch's Brew in Palm Harbor, where he will sing his blend of folk-country/blues. About 70 percent of his act is made up of original songs.

"A lot of them are about personal experiences in Florida and other places," he explained.

Forsythe prides himself on his art. "I'm a songwriter and very much interested in lyrics."

The "Steady" part of Forsythe's name comes from his homesteading experience in West Virginia. There, Forsythe lived alone on 105 rural acres and studied slide guitar, a technique of playing the guitar often used in blues.

West Virginia was only one of his stops since graduating as valedictorian of his class at Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., where he majored in creative writing. Forsythe has become something of a troubadour, traveling both nationally and internationally with pen and guitar.

He spent more than two years in Australia, where he wrote a novella, and drove alone 1,500 miles across the center of the content, much of which is the barren "Outback" wilderness.

The 33-year-old Forsythe also taught English in Japan for four years. While away from the classroom, he entertained with his music and learned Japanese.

In this country, he travels around in his trusty van.

During all of his travels, he has written music describing the highs and lows of traveling. His song "This Really Sucks" came from one of the lows and was composed in a Motel 6 room somewhere on the road.

Forsythe came to Florida last year because of family commitments. He has fallen in love with the Sunshine State, he said.

"I've morphed myself into a Florida boy, tall and tan and laid back and interested in having a good time and enjoying life," he noted.

His Florida experience has become grist for his songwriting. Forsythe promises his audience many Florida-themed songs.

His performances are characterized by strong interaction with the audience, Forsythe said.

The lowdown

From 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. tonight, May 24, singer-songwriter Matt Forsyth will perform at the Witch's Brew, 1219C Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. At 9 p.m., Thursday, June 5, he will be at Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. He will entertain there every other Thursday.

Cheryl Bentley can be reached at 727-815-1069 cbentley@suncoastnews.com.

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