A Starity is born
Junior rapper finds inspiration in musical artists
SEPEHRI co print managing editor, co people editor
Art imitateslife,or sothesayinggoes But for junior MateoJones,it?stheopposite Jonesandthemusichemakesarethe productsof different musical influences: fromKendrickLamar toKenCarsonand fromcellotorap Andwithout his art?music?lifewouldbealot lessexciting ?Without music??Jonessaid ?[Mylife] wouldbeveryboring I don't knowwhat my lifewouldbelikewithout music?
Perhapsalifewithout musicishardfor Jonestoimaginesinceit hasbeenwithhim forever Jonesbeganplayingthecelloat age 7after hisparentsput himintheUniversity of TexasStringProject program But around seventhgrade,Jonesbeganexploringanew styleof music
?AsI got older,likemiddleschool age,I startedlisteningtorap,?Jonessaid ?That kindof inspiredmetostart rappingmyself Soat first,I startedmakingbeats,but thenI transitionedtoactuallyrapping?
Ever sincethen,Joneshasbeenrapping under thenameStarityandpostinghis original musiconplatformssuchasSpotify, wherehe?saverifiedartist,andSoundCloud WhileJonesmight lacktheexperience neededtogiveapersonal touchtohissongs, Starityisawayfor himtotinker with different influencesuntil hefinds somethingthat works
?Alot of thesubjectsinmyrapreflect thesubjectsthat I hear other peoplerap about,?Jonessaid ?I feel likeI haven't gottentoalevel yet wheremylyricsare reallypersonalized They?remostlyjust reflectionsof other artistsI hear or listento onadailybasis?
Jones?sbiggest influencesareKendrick Lamar,YoungThugandPlayboi Carti Each of their distinct stylesreflectsastepin Jones?sownmusical journey
?At first withKendrickLamar,I waskind of doingmorelyrical music,tryingtotell a story,?Jonessaid ?But thenI kindof shied awayfromthat NowI?mjust tryingtomake musicthat will gowell at aconcert People likePlayboi Carti kindof influencemein the?makingmusicfor concerts?aspect,now that I'mactuallydoingconcerts?
Joneshasperformedliveonlyahandful of times,but theexperienceprovidedan incrediblefeeling,andwithit,anew motivationtokeepmakingmusic
?It'sjust theadrenalinerush,?Jonessaid ?Thefeelingof havingpeopleactuallymess withyour musicinperson,not onascreen, just keepsmegoing It just makesmereally happytoperformandthat'sthefeelingI want tochase?
StarityhasalsoprovidedJoneswiththe opportunitytocollaborate,andbyextension, connect withhispeers WhileJoneshas collaboratedwithmanyartists,including AndyMorinof thehip hopgroupDeathGrips, themost meaningful projectshavebeenwith sophomoresTownesHamreandJaxon Williams,aswell asjunior LucasHendrix
?I reallylovecollaboratingwiththem,? Jonessaid ?It'sjust adifferent feelingtobe physicallywithsomeonethat youknowand you'refriendswithandmakesomethingthat's reallygood?
HendrixdiscoveredJones?srapafter afriend showedhimthesonghedidwithDeathGrips?
AndyMorin
?[Morin?s]namecaught myear,?Hendrix said ?Andit wassoodd[that they'd collaborated]'causethiskidwasadamncello player inmyorchestra?
HendrixandJones?scollaborationscamein theformof performinglivetogether For Hendrix,thechallengeof performingwith Jonesistryingtomatchhisenergy
?Hehasthisconstant hypetohim,sohe doesn? t get tired,?Hendrixsaid ?Or maybehe doesn? t noticeit,but it doesn? t diminishor increaseat all ?
Hamre,whoispart of amusical duocalled hydration withWilliams,wasdrawnto workingwithJonesbecausetheir soundswere similar ToHamre,Jonesaddsnot onlytothe qualityof themusicbut alsotothecreative processitself
?It?sreallyeasyworkingwithhimbecause youjust sendabeat and adaylater hehasit ready,?Hamresaid ?[WorkingwithJones]has helpedmewithmixingvocalsandworking withdifferent stylesof rapping [I admire]how professional hesoundseventhoughhedoesn't haveaginormousaudience?
Regardlessof thesizeof hisaudience, creatingmusicfor otherstolistentois invaluabletoJones
?WhenI?mlisteningtothesoundsfully,if it'sactuallygood,I?mjust like,?Wow,I can't wait toput that out tothepublic,??Jonessaid
But publishinghismusiconlinealso providesaddedvulnerabilityfor Jones
?If someonedoesn't likeyour song,[they can say],?Look what Mateojust made,?and just pull it uplikethat,?Jonessaid ?It?sso easy toaccess Sometimesit can bestressful, but mostly it'scool that everybody can hear mymusic?
Jonesiswillingtotakewhatever riskscome withputtinghimself out there.Whether it?s celloor rap,for Jones,musicistheonlypath ahead
?Musicmeanshappiness,?Jonessaid ?The wayI liveisjust surroundedbymusic There's reallynothingI wouldbepassionateabout if it wasn't for music It'sreally?soundskindof corny,but?mywayof life?
JuniorMateoJonesperformsat
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Tunnel VisioninJuly2022.Performingliveprovides motivationforJones "[Concerts]reallygot me reallyinterested inmaking music again,"Jonessaid PhotobyMorganEye
LANIE
EVIE
It'sthethe2006TacoShackBowl The playersarepreparingtotakethefield,unaware of thesignificancethisgamewill holdsixteen yearslater
Asoneof theoldest rivalriesintheAustin area,theTacoShackBowl wascreatedtoencourage goodsportsmanship betweenthetwoschools However,thisfact does not stopabreakout of violencebetweenthe teams What startsas verbal jabsturnsinto punches,andendswitheachgroupswearingto destroytheother onthefield Oneteamwouldholdtruetothat promise Byearlyeveningtheplayershavearrivedat thestadium Beforethegamebegins,theteam huddlesaroundheadcoachPat Honeycutt Honeycutt'sKnightshavewon97gamesin hiseight yearsasheadcoach Hissecret to success?Makingpracticesointensethat the gamesseemlikeabreeze
Whilethereisnorecordof exactlywhat Honeycutt saystohisplayersinthose momentsbeforethegamebegins,whatever he saysworkswonders TheKnightsdefeat the Trojans52 12towintheannual rivalrygame byarecordmarginof 40points
For thethirdyear inarow,theplayers returntoschool,trophyinhandand Honeycutt returnswithatwinkleinhiseye
Sixteenyearslater,threeof theplayerson thefieldthat night areonthesamefieldas coachesfor the2022TacoShackBowl,hoping tograspthat trophyonceagain
Theplayers:ColtonCollins,KeeStewart,and JaredHouston Noneof thethreeexpectedthat theywouldreuniteat thesamefootballprogram wheretheycompetedtogetherasplayers Their time together onthefield: thewins,thelosses, andcoach Honeycutt's infamouslygrueling workoutshave createdasharedsense of identitybetween thethreeof them whichisnowvisible inthewaytheycoach thecurrent Knights
?It'sjust alwaysagoodtimebeingaround thosetwoguys,?Stewart said ?I thinkwehave anappreciationfor thesport becauseweused toplay It doesn't feel likeworkfor us It feels likewe'rejust comingtohavefun?
Thisbondcanalsobeseennowintheir coachingstyles Their sharedsenseof identity allowseachof themtobuildandplayoff the other'sstrengths,providingtheteamwitha
well roundedcoachingstyle
?I believethat havingfamiliar facesinmy jobhasgivenmeasenseof trust,?Houston said ?Asaunit I feel weworkcohesivelyvery well together Weareall just heretryingto createapositiveexperiencefor thekids?
Eachcoachfillsadifferent role Collinsis bigonwork Heisthe onewhomakessure that thingsget started andfinished.Collinsis seriousbut never raises hisvoice,for fear that hislargesizewill intimidateplayers Instead,Collinsfocuses oninstallingapositive mindset intohisteam Stewart ontheother handdoesn? t mind keepinghisplayersin line Infact,heyellsmorethananyother of thecoaches Theseloudburstsof energycome fromaplaceof passion,whichhisfellow coachesdescribedas"rawenergy"
Houstonisacombinationof thetwo He doesn't mindyellingbut waitstoraisehis voicetill it'sabsolutelynecessary Heisstern but funat thesametime Heprioritizes positivereinforcement but doesn't mind puttingaplayer incheckwhenit'srequired.
Collinscoachestheoffensiveline Stewart coachestherunningbacks Houstoncoaches thespecial teams Eventhougheach specializesinadifferent phaseof thegame, theyshareauniquecoachingconnection Collinsevenclaimsthat thethreeof themare soinsyncthat theyknowwhat oneanother is thinkingandalmost "finisheachother's
sentences"
Collinsattributestheuniformityintheir mindsetstothreethings:
1 Theyall playedtogetherinhighschool They werecoachedbythesamecoaches,wentthrough thesametoughpracticesgames,andexperiences, andwereall Knightsat thesametime
2 Theyall playedcollege football Thisallowedthem tobetter leadanddedicate themselvestothesport,to learnandstudythegame
3 Theyall sharewhat Collinshasnicknamedthe "dogmentality"It gives themthesamedrive, mindset,andperseverance that canonlybetaught throughcountlessdrills andhardpractices The samedrillsandpractices that thethreemenwent throughtogether
Collinsattributesthismentalitytohissuccess inlife,hissuccessasaplayer,andhissuccessasa coach It isalsowhat hebelieveswill leadthe Knightstoasuccessful season
?[At McCallum} wedon't havethebest facilities,wedon't haveaturf field,thebest equipment,andour numbersaren't that great but what makesusspecial istheeffort andthe tenacitythat our student athleteshave,?Collins said ?Our players[gointothegames]knowing that they?regoingtobeundersizedandprobably outmatchedathletically But what separatesusas Knights,isour mental fortitude The effort that weput intoeverythingthat wedohereiswhat reallystandsout andsetsusapart
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CollinsplaysforMcCallum under legendarycoachPat Honeycutt. Photo courtesyof ColtonCollins.
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Knights still on same page FormerMcCallum football players returnascoaches, bring passionate leadership and team values
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chief Wecoacheshave that mentalityandwe understandwhatittakes to be successful. ? coach Colton Collins " " Wearealljusthere tryingto create a positiveexperiencefor the kids. ? coach Jared Houston " " AteenageCollins,left,poseswiththeVictoryBelland a teammateafter defeatingTravistowintheBattleof theBell,Photocourtesyof ColtonCollins
BARNARD co editor in
Ateenage Houstonduring a high school all star football game. Photo courtesyof Jared Houston.
