The Music Changed My Life

A Story of Sound, Spirit, and Surrender

Music changed my life.
Not just in the way it gave me something to do, but in the way it gave me someone to be. It called me out of the fog, cracked me open, and reintroduced me to my soul.

This post isn’t just about a song — it’s about the journey music took me on. A path that began with a spark at 16 and unfolded into a wild, sacred, unpredictable pilgrimage through every layer of who I am. And it all started with that one moment when music found me.

Before the Music: The Storm I Was In

Before music, I felt like I had no real purpose. I was drifting — spiritually hungry, emotionally scattered, unsure of my place in the world. Life felt like static. There was noise, but no melody. I was searching for something deeper, something that made me feel alive.

Then, at 16, something shifted. I was walking past the music room at my school and overheard a friend playing one of my favorite songs at the time — More Than Words by Extreme — on the guitar. I walked in and, without hesitation, asked him to teach it to me. As soon as I picked up the guitar, something sparked. Suddenly, there was direction. Something ancient stirred in me. I didn’t know where it would lead, but I knew I had to follow it. Music became the thread that held me together through many dark moments of my experience.

When I Couldn’t Put the Guitar Down

I remember the exact moment. I remember the feeling, because it’s a feeling I revisit every time a new song comes through — or when I sing with people and we drop into that space. Music filled the space around me and poured light into the hollow places within me, like sunlight breaking into a dark room. It felt like Spirit speaking in a language I could finally understand.

I couldn’t put the guitar down. I was obsessed — completely consumed. My roommate at boarding school actually had to request a room change because he couldn’t take it anymore. Truth be told, I probably sounded terrible at the time — but I didn’t care. I had found something that lit me up from the inside, something I couldn’t walk away from. Schoolwork, grades, expectations — all of that faded into the background. I had fallen in love, in a way I still can’t quite describe to this day.

A Love I Couldn’t Walk Away From

From that moment on, I followed music like it was a compass — the only thing that made sense in a world that often didn’t. Especially at that age, when the big questions adults asked were, “What do you want to study when you leave school?” “What job do you want?”. Intrinsically, I knew.

God and everything in the universe conspired to bring my musical dreams to life. My parents supported my desire to go to South Africa and study sound engineering. After that, I went on to performing arts school and spent about six years in South Africa, completely immersed in music.

Music was everything. I was living and breathing it, day in and day out. But the kind of music I was making at the time came with a lifestyle I couldn’t quite keep up with. As the music flowed, so did the whiskey and spliffs. The rock ‘n roll scene was incredibly fun — yet had a twist of darkness I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

That’s when I really began noticing music’s remarkable guidance. I started writing songs with deeper meaning — songs that carried a message and reflected the spiritual awakening that was quietly reshaping my life. I changed my lifestyle overnight. Something deeper was steering the ship.

To be honest though, whether I was crammed into a tiny storage room with friends playing loud rock ‘n roll or playing the dreamscape of someone’s ayahuasca journey, I felt at home because it was the music I was living in.

The Shift — What the Songs Gave Me

Music didn’t just give me something to do — it gave me something to be. It walked me through many lifetimes in one: the rock ‘n roll lifestyle, the raw edges of the ego, and eventually, the sacred stillness and sensitivity of ceremony.

It led me to medicine circles, children’s classrooms, and family gatherings. It taught me how to hold space. It revealed parts of my psychology I didn’t know were wounded — and helped me piece them back together, one song at a time.

Music became both mirror and medicine.

The Ripple Effect

Today, music still leads me. It’s the heartbeat of my ministry, my mentorship, and my family life. Every time I teach a child to sing or witness an adult reclaim their voice, I remember that sacred moment when music changed my life.

It’s no longer about performance — it’s about presence. And I’m here to help others remember what I did: that music isn’t just something we do, it’s something we are.

What About You?

This story is mine — but I believe we all have a song like this.
Maybe it’s already found you.
Maybe it’s still making its way to your ears.

Either way, I’d love to hear from you:
Has music ever changed your life? Drop it in the comments, or send me a message. Maybe we’ll build a playlist together.

Until Then…

May the music that finds you be the music that frees you.
And may your voice — in all its rawness and beauty — become a lifeline for someone else.

With heart,
Matteo Maclean
Free The Music Ministry