Words by Terrell Manasco | Image by Blakeney Clouse

Some children beg their parents for a pony, a bicycle, or a new toy. Matt Wiley wanted piano lessons. 

 His parents say Matt was pleading his case for lessons at the age of three. Five years later, he began taking lessons from the church organist, Julie Wilson. He’s not certain where his passion for piano came from. 

 “My mom says it must have been something divinely inspired,” he laughs. 

 Matt’s dad, Jasper attorney Hank Wiley, has always been a major influence in his life. Because of his father, Matt was exposed to bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin while growing up. His fondest memories are from his high school days, playing in his dad’s band, Second Time Around. Laughing, he recalls the time his dad planned to take Matt and two friends to see The Who in concert. “I asked everybody [to go]!” Matt says.” I said, 'The Who!’ and they were like…’Who??’” 

 After earning his music degree from The University of Alabama, Matt returned to his alma mater to teach jazz piano. Then, in 2014, the tragic death of a close friend’s toddler son sent Matt spiraling into depression. An invitation to Church of the Highlands’ 21 Days of Prayer, changed his life.

 “I was in a small group and I heard this voice say, 'Your gifts are not for you,’” Matt recalls. “I still have it on an index card in my Bible.”

 The experience gave Matt a new perspective. His depression lessened, and he began to see the world through different eyes. In 2018, Matt opened Capstone Music Academy. “I didn’t know anything about running a business—I just knew I was supposed to do it,” he says. “I wasn't trying to make a living anymore. I was trying to make a difference.”

 Each day, CMA’s Tuscaloosa campus welcomes over 100 students from ages 2 to 80 years old. CMA offers classes on recording and production, as well as classical violin, jazz, ukulele, and banjo. “We place a lot of emphasis on gifts versus skills,” Matt says. “A gift is something we're born with. The skills are what we do with that gift.”

 The effects of COVID-19 have left many families in dire financial straits. Matt recently opened a side business, Wiley's BBQ, as a means to provide free lessons to students who cannot afford them. “I never wanted money to be an issue for our students,” he says. “Cooking is a passion of mine. If I'm doing it anyway and I can make a little extra money on the side, I can teach a student pro bono.”

 It is said that words and ideas can change the world. For Matt Wiley, it only took six. 

 “Our gifts are not for us,” he says. “I believe with all my heart that we're supposed to use those gifts to love and serve others.” 78