I’m Matthew K Mayes, from St Pete FL and this is my Electric Violin Project.

ArcoVera was founded in 2018 by Matt (violin) and Rose (Cello). Now in 2023 after years of rest I have revived ArcoVera as my core project and brand for my music and arts collective efforts. This web site is brand new as of about Nov 1 2023 so I’m working on putting some content up.

Here’s what I’m working on right now: I have a curated list of cover tunes… hear me out. I treat cover tunes with kid gloves, with great fear and respect. These are the “folk songs” of our time and deserve respect and sophistication. Let’s look at what folk music is – it’s intimate music of the people. When this intimacy is involved, it brings about local versions of songs, and a variety of sophisticated affinities. This can happen in any genre if we want it.

Last year I traveled around the country going to acoustic jam sessions where locals gathered to play Irish, Old Time, and Bluegrass music (some were jazzy too). Every town had their own set of songs and tunes and they sounded unique to that group. They found their voice, collectively. But some of the songs were the same in title from town to town, tho they each were intimately treated with personal care and involvement, giving them human value.

This is how I like to treat every “cover tune” I play. A cover tune is a song the performer didn’t write. So you might consider the music of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven all cover tunes. The “problem” with cover tunes is that well, most people suck at them. I don’t really venture to say I know why they usually suck. But we all know they do. They just do. (awkward laugh). In my case, what makes me not hate the cover tunes I do, is because I treat them as intimate and sophisticated folk art where I, as an indie artist, “get to” treat and interpret the piece (whatever pop tune) with all the color and individual choice of any piece of music I have created from scratch. However, I prefer cover tunes, for now, when presenting to the public. Not because I want to fit in, but because I want to be relevant. In showing how I filter and interpret a cover tune, this speaks to my unique but shared human experience as an artist.

I think that’s a good enough introduction for now. I would also like to acknowledge that this project is based around my NS violin (by Ned Steinberger) which inspired me to go this rout as my core personal music project for now.

Contact or Follow me at:

Instagram: @mattmayesmusic

Read More: Why I Play Electric Violin | About Matthew K Mayes