In “Making Their Move,” Spark meets Matt Alber, who has left a secure job to go out on his own as a country western singer. With no manager or agent, Alber is doing whatever it takes to make things happen. When a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself with a spot on the new television show “American Pride,” a search for the first openly Gay male country western singer, Alber jumps at the opportunity.
Growing up, Alber said, “I know I wanna be a singer, I just don’t necessarily know what kind I’m going to end up being.” Born in Wichita, Kansas, and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he studied voice at Truman State University in Missouri. With a strong religious background, he thought his future was in Christian pop music. Unfortunately, while traveling with the Christian band Living Word, Alber was faced with hostility because of his sexual orientation. The group disbanded and re-formed without him.
Alber moved to San Francisco and became a full-time professional musician when he joined Chanticleer, a Grammy Award-winning ensemble of 12 voices that perform a diverse range of pieces, including jazz and gospel. Alber was then introduced to country western music and two-step. He found that his voice and writing were well suited to country western, and he has been well received at such venues as rodeos and the Sundance Saloon, a weekly country western event that serves the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community.
The first original single by Alber, “What Took You So Long?” placed third in Universal Music’s 2002 Songwriting Contest. In 2003, he competed in a revived version of the television show “Star Search.” Although he didn’t win, the competition was close, and the experience led him to make the decision to leave Chanticleer and pursue solo performing as a country western singer-songwriter. Alber had his own studio built and continues to write music, inspired by country, alternative rock, electro, hip-hop and musical theater. He is at work on his first album with Whip Records in Berkeley.
Alber hopes that the show “American Pride” might be what it takes to push him to the next level. He learned of the plan to develop the show from record producer Larry Dvoskin in 2002. After more than a year of waiting, Alber received notification that the show was holding open auditions, so he flew out to New York and was selected for the cast. The show will follow competitors as they audition for a place in the finale in Nashville, where America will vote for the winner. The winner receives a record contract and the possibility of a place in history.
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