Music settles deep into our souls, evoking emotions of sadness or joy, peace, comfort or an exuberant energy resulting in our bursting into dance. Bothell’s Michael “Mike” Matesky lives, hears and breathes music.
Born into a family of virtuosos where his mother played piano and his Juilliard-educated father played violin, Mike chose the cello. He earned his doctorate degree in music from the University of Washington and has entertained audiences playing as principal cellist at Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Theater. He’s also taught at several universities and has performed for many college benefits.
However, Mike sets aside any further conversation about his own accomplishments. Instead, he speaks about the musical abilities and talents in others. He knows that a high-school girls chorus can sound professional and that a student submitting a DVD of her piano accomplishments can help her reach her dreams of attending coveted schools like Stanford and Juilliard.
“I don’t care if you’re a professional, just love and feel the music inside,” says Mike.
To complement his philosophy and to help others reach their musical goals, Mike has created a recording studio called Opus 4 Studios, a place where Mike says, “They (amateurs, students or professionals) will be recording at the highest level.”
Mike’s lovely home is set on five acres of land and includes a separate garage and guesthouse, a gazebo and fountain that face a multi-leveled manicured lawn. Pathways beckon visitors to stroll down the hill to a pond where water rests before flowing into North Creek.
Amidst the tranquility, what a visitor doesn’t readily see is a high-tech recording studio complete with up-to-the-minute technology, rockwool insulation, red and gold-colored Persian carpets covering hardwood floors, 72 loud speakers, two microphones used for Hollywood recording artists and two grand Kawai pianos that are kept in first-class condition. The Opus 4 sound studio has been carefully engineered to assure a dead silence for recording music and producing video.
Mike refers to the acoustics of the room as, “Music painted on a background of silence.”
He notes that the silence in his recording studio is quieter than in Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.
“We need to provide an environment where people can do their very best,” says Mike, as he switches on a reverberating device, transporting musicians and listeners into a cavernous European cathedral with marble floors.
Opus 4 Studios runs efficiently. With Mike in the control room monitoring the sound, he allows performers all the time they need to produce the best quality product.
As Mike says, “We don’t play the game of beat the clock here.”
Mike keeps up with the ever-advancing technology as a member of the Audio-Engineering Society. He strives to bring the best sound studio experience to the client.
Mike says, “All electrical work was done properly,” and adds, “We don’t want to hear a hum.”
Mike admits that coming up with the name for the studio proved hardest. An opus is a “published output” and there were four original people in the group working on the studio concept … Alas! Opus 4 Studios!
Mike, a math major at Berkeley, luckily for us, switched his major to music. It is clear that the path he chose, not only benefits our community, but fulfills his own lifelong passion.
For details regarding Opus 4 Studios, visit www.opus4studios.com.
Suzanne G. Beyer is a Bothell resident.
