This week’s NY Entertainer of the week is Matt Dobkin. When not working his job as a marketing director at the Met Opera, he is pursuing other passions close to his heart. He is an indie singer-songwriter and political activist. We got to chat with Matt about his music, his new EP Six Songs of Protest, and his NYC favorites!
Matt Dobkin photographed by Rose Callahan on July 28, 2018
upfrontNY: When did you develop your interest in music?
Matt Dobkin: I can’t remember a time I didn’t have an interest in music. I was one of these kids who had a good voice and was singing all the time. From the age of 9, I was a boy soprano at the Metropolitan Opera – until that career came to a halt when my voice changed at 14. But for those five years, I was on stage all the time, surrounded by the greatest artists in music, and it all felt totally natural. Music was just there – my interest didn’t really need to develop.
upfrontNY: Can you tell us about your new EP Six Songs of Protest? Where did you find your inspiration behind the EP?
Matt Dobkin: The idea for Six Songs of Protest was hatched in the immediate aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. Like the majority of Americans, I was shocked and depressed – and totally alarmed – by the results. But I read an article by Gloria Steinem, the legendary feminist activist, and the gist of her piece was that in times like this, we can’t wallow in despair. We have to get up and take action – we have to organize. And I thought, Hmm, that’s a good song title, and great song concept, and I just started writing. I pretty quickly thought that this should be a short suite of songs all centered on the idea of resistance. There are five originals and one cover, of “Power and the Glory,” an amazing folk song by Phil Ochs written in the early 60s that could not feel more relevant today.
upfrontNY: Each song has a specific political or social issue, can you tell us how you used your music to address important issues currently happening in our country?
Matt Dobkin: Right after I had this idea for “Organize,” I started making lists of song ideas that were inspired by current events and various social issues. I had pages and pages of random song titles or things I could write about, plenty of which were pretty half-baked, but several of which felt like they were worth pursuing. “Earthquakes and Hurricanes” is about the environment and climate change. There’s a line in it, “All day my feed is packed with mudslides and tales of pain” – Facebook postings about the California wildfires, the Puerto Rico hurricane and the inept response to it, these things were what inspired that song. “They Warned Us” is about musicians of the 60s and 70s who were writing about the same issues nearly 50 years ago. There are four verses and each is dedicated to a particular artist: Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Wonder. It’s definitely a vintage, old-school vibe I was going for.
upfrontNY: Do you have a favorite song on the EP or one that you connect to the most?
Matt Dobkin: I’d have to say “Organize,” since that really became the driving force behind the whole project. All the factors – the Gloria Steinem inspiration, Shirley Chisholm sample, incredible background vocals by Teresa Stanley – this song encapsulates what inspired the overall EP and what I was hoping to achieve with it. That said, I’m also partial to the sinewy, sexy vibe of “The Ramble” as well…. By the way, I’m making a video for “Organize,” and on my way home from a creative meeting about it with my directors, I’m in my local deli and who do I run into but Gloria Steinem herself. So, of course, I had to accost her and tell her about the song while she was standing there picking out avocados. She was so nice and enthusiastic and told me, “We need this song!” So I take that as a good omen!
upfrontNY: You are a political activist. When did you find your passion for using your voice to help others?
Matt Dobkin: Tuesday, November 8, 2016. I had always had strongly-held political points of view, and for a long time I’ve really been into musicians and artists who expressed themselves politically through their work – Marvin Gaye, Nina Simone, so many others. I wrote my song “Paid Administrative Leave,” about police brutality, back in 2015, but it was really the last presidential election that made me start to think, Yeah, maybe I’m an activist in my way…
upfrontNY: What advice do you have for others who want to get out and make a difference?
Matt Dobkin: After the election, one of my first thoughts was, “What can I do?!” And I realized quickly that my form of resistance would be through these songs. I’m not a person who would ever run for office, and I’m not a natural community organizer. But I looked at what I was good at and channeled that into my own little form of resistance. I wouldn’t really presume to offer advice in this area, but I would say, look at what you’re good at and figure out a way to give it a political angle, an activist angle.
upfrontNY: Do you have a favorite lyric, song, or quote that inspires you?
Matt Dobkin: So many! This is difficult, but the moment the idea of “great song lyrics” comes up, I inevitably think of the second half of verse 2 of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” This has nothing at all to do with my current political project, but it’s just pure gorgeousness: “I remember that time you told me / You said, ‘Love is touching souls’ / Surely you touched mine / Cuz part of you pours out of me / In these lines from time to time.” How good is that?
upfrontNY: What are you looking forward to in 2019?
Matt Dobkin: Impeachment!
NYC FAVORITES
Favorite Thing about NYC: My fellow native New Yorkers. We’re a very specific breed, and I love us.
Favorite NYC venue: Joe’s Pub, BAM, National Sawdust
Favorite NYC experience: This is tough. In NYC everything’s an experience – from a random subway ride to dealing with the other crazy dog owners in Central Park first thing in the morning. A truly great performance at the Metropolitan Opera, where I work, is a pretty amazing, unforgettable experience. But, tennis freak that I am, I’d probably have to say Week One of the U.S. Open on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows.
Favorite NYC restaurant: Depends on the mood/scenario. For something upscale, I friggin’ love Marea on Central Park South. For something more mid-range, any of the Momofuku Noodle Bars – I want my last meal to be a David Chang pork bun. And if we’re going basic, Grand Sichuan on Tenth Avenue and 24th Street. Soup dumplings!
Favorite NYC sport for a night out: The great thing about the city is that every week there’s a new must-visit restaurant or new must-check-out bar or venue. So on any given night, the favorite spot is inevitably the one that’s just about to open.
Learn More about Matt Dobkin
Instagram:@MattDobkin
Facebook : @MattDobkinMusic
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