The need to unlearn would seem to imply that there is something one knows that is wrong and must be undone and then relearned correctly. That is the crossroads Matt Brouwer found himself at in the year 2002. On his new CD, aptly titled Unlearning, Brouwer lays his soul bare, revealing a disarming honesty in themes ranging from loneliness, the loss of a Father, the search for home, consumerism, confession, and the hope and power of surrender.

Despite his introduction to the music world in May 2001, with his award-winning and critically acclaimed debut CD, Imagerical, Brouwer found himself feeling lost and confused in an ever expanding industry of corporate music. With constant attention being put on record sales and bankability as a “performer” the lines of art, success, and commerce started to get very blurry in Brouwer’s own mind. In an effort to regain clarity he took an unusual path that led him to a church in Houston, TX. It was here Brouwer discovered his greatest joy in being a part of a relational, grassroots community.

Matthew (Paul) Brouwer grew up in the eastern Canadian town of Truro, Nova Scotia, he is the sixth of seven kids born and raised on a dairy farm. When he was three years old, his father was killed in a car accident, leaving the family to run the farm. “My family has been a huge spiritual influence in my life,” says Brouwer. “I’ve seen firsthand how suffering and brokenness can unite people to lean on God for strength.”

In college Matt began to take music more seriously and he started a band with a few friends there. “We knew there were spiritual depths that we had not experienced and playing music was this amazing tool that unlocked some places in my heart and hinted at a deeper reality,” he remembers, “We got together because we had a need to ask questions. We were not skilled musicians, just willing to do whatever it took to be together.”

Eventually, what came as a result of that experience was the CD Imagerical, which garnered national attention, received two Vibe Awards (Canadian People’s Choice Award), was nominated for a Juno Award for best gospel album and produced two top 10 CCM radio singles. But as soon as Brouwer left college and began to travel the life of a musician in support of the CD, the less relevant it all seemed to be apart from a local community.

Says Brouwer, “To me a true artist is someone, who at the very least, has spent time in the trenches. Making an effort to serve and get their hands dirty. The process is a lot more real and painful than the illusion of being a celebrity, but in the end it’s what separates great artistry from the disposableness of where music is right now. That is a journey that I feel drawn to. I think that who a person is speaks so much more than anything that they do or don’t do. To become a person of substance we all need to be honest and face our demons while living life. Somewhere in that process I hope to find something worthwhile to say in my music.”

Currently Matt and his band continue to walk the tedious line between traveling musician and local member in their home community. Given the depth of content that appears on his latest offering, Unlearning, lets hope Matt Brouwer and many more recording artists like him will continue to search for truth and meaning above climbing the ladder of fame.