Matthew M. - Profile - Couchsurfing

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Why I'm on Couchsurfing

Traveling to see sights that you can't back home is all well and good, but the true pleasure in my eyes is getting to connect with people of different cultures . I'm always interested in learning about the music & food of the different places I visit, and it's hard to really get a grasp on those things unless you're mingling with locals. Couchsurfing & AirBnB (to a point) open up that possibility for greater interaction & sharing that you don't get in a typical hotel environment.

About

Freelancer / Musician

Johns Hopkins University

Music, Movies, and Books

Féla Kuti, Brad Mehldau, Chris Thile, Avishai Cohen, Ballaké Sissoko, The Barr Brothers, Vulfpeck, Snarkey Puppy, Sturgill Simpson, Cory Henry, The Wood Brothers, Pat Methany, D'Angelo, Gretchen Parlato, Hiatus Kaiyote, John Doyle, Miles Davis, Noura Mint Seymali, Paul Simon, Chassol, Edgar Mayer, Punch Brothers, Thundercat, Girls in Airports, John Scofield, Lionel Loueke, Medeski Martin & Wood, Quantic, Andrew Bird, Ben Monder, Robert Glasper, Anais Mitchell, Kamasi Washington, Brian Blade, Pedrito Martinez.... I could on for days.

References

One Amazing Thing I've Done

A few years ago I traveled to Mali & Guinea with a group of musicians. We spent two months basically wandering around a few of the cities and smaller villages just playing music with whomever we would cross. I've never experienced such an outflowing of warmth and companionship as I had during that trip. Despite the very stark cultural differences and the complete lack of a common language, we were able to communicate through the common tongue on music and the bond was stronger than any I've felt traveling elsewhere in this world.

What I Can Share With Hosts

Hopefully I can share good music with them - either jamming or trading recommendations for new discoveries. I also enjoy cooking and drinking, so meals are always something I like to share.

My Interests

Music is my primary interest. I love to share new music with people and to immerse myself in local music scenes & cultures around the world. I also love rock-climbing and the outdoors. I rarely travel without a pair of climbing shoes now and am always down for a hike. Food and agriculture is also very important to me. Perhaps it's a product of the environment that I grew up in, but I place a lot of importance on good, fresh produce. I also think the ceremony of cooking and sharing a meal with someone is one of the greatest points of connection we have as humans.