Meet Ava Matasavage | Composer, Songwriter, and Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ava Matasavage and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ava, can you tell us more about your background and the role it’s played in shaping who you are today?
I was born and raised in the Studio City area. My parents are not musicians however music was always playing in the house- especially when my mom was cleaning; Glenn Miller, Billie Holiday, Carole King, Outkast, Madonna, Lilo & Stitch Soundtrack (this was a staple in my house). I have a lot of fond memories helping my mom clean while 40’s Junction or Swing Kings (Sirius XM radio stations) played from the TV. All of my “What do you want to be when you grow up?” essays and projects from this time are all about how I wanted to help my mom clean the house when I was older. I think I hadn’t fully grasped the concept that music could be enjoyed in other contexts and that the music itself was what was resonating with me the most during that process. Once I did grasp that though, and started to express interest to my parents about taking music lessons or becoming a musician when I was older, they were nothing but extremely supportive and encouraging. If anything, they were, and still are, almost more encouraging of my musical career than I am at times. In times where I doubt if I can do it, they always tell me if I love it, I should go for it. I think I am lucky that I grew up in LA where so many people here make a living through creative or “non-traditional” jobs that they (hopefully) love doing. Seeing this and being surrounded by the entertainment industry growing up was a constant reminder that it was where I wanted to eventually end up. 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I currently work as a composer for Human Worldwide, making music for advertisements. I love working for them, not only because the people there are so great, but also because I get to make all different kinds of music. As a composer/arranger you have to be kind of like a chameleon; make music in whatever genre necessary. Studying composition and arranging at Berklee College of Music in Boston very much prepared me for this. During my three years there, my exposure to different kinds of music grew exponentially. I am extraordinarily grateful to be working in the field I want to work in so soon after graduating. Having the opportunity to compose every single day is a dream come true and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I also have my own music I release under the name Ava LaRue (my first and middle name). This music is very introspective, perhaps a little sad at times, it’s always very personal. I always write using my acoustic guitar so the music is largely acoustic based with some electronic elements here and there. It usually takes me about an hour to write these songs from start to finish. The lyrics, chords, and melody come all at once and I rarely revise anything. I kind of like that they capture a moment in time; what I was thinking when I wrote it. I recently released my song ‘3 Minutes’- produced by my friend Amir Halevi, who is an incredible musician/songwriter himself. I wrote this song on New Year’s Eve after thinking about how the world could end tomorrow and if that were the case, what would I even do? How would I feel? I knew I wanted this song to sound a bit different than my other stuff- perhaps a bit angstier given the topic. I really like what the end result ended up being. Getting that song out definitely was cathartic in many ways. Moving forward, I hope to get an EP out sometime this year. I am so used to making music by myself but working with others on ‘3 Minutes’ was such a wonderful experience. I hope to get more people involved in making this EP- even if that means it will take longer. There is just something very special about collaborating with other musicians. It’s very eye-opening and I think it often makes the music better as well. So definitely more of that in the future! 

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love this question. I will share my 3-day weekend itinerary for the good folks reading this:

Ava’s Perfect Weekend In LA

Friday (take off work & treat yourself):

Breakfast at DuPars at The Grove- best pancakes in LA. I don’t make the rules.
**must visit the sticker store that is next door after you finish the meal**

Shop at the Soap Plant/Wackos in Los Feliz and then the Goodwill next door- best Goodwill in the city.

Griffith Observatory

Counterpoint Records – one of the best record/music stores in LA

Throwback Friday Improv at UCB Franklin

Saturday:

Los Feliz Flea Market

Little Tokyo visit- all the stores and restaurants here rule

Last Bookstore DTLA

DTLA Public Library

Show at The Stowaway Bar DTLA (great jazz & drinks!) or Hollywood Bowl (incredibly historic & I worked here for 3 years!)

Sunday:

Hike at Fryman, Franklin, or Malibu w/birdwatching (a hobby of mine)

Farmers Market (any farmers market really)

Academy Museum of Motion Pictures (you can also watch movies here)

See a show in Echo Park! So many great bands play around here- great music scene

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Goodness. This is a difficult question. There are so many people that come to mind. I think the most prevailing one is definitely my parents. They have always been extremely supportive of my love for music and desire to become a musician. I remember after wanting to quit music completely one day in high school because I thought I wasn’t good enough- this was about a year before I had to apply for college- I went into the living room to declare I was “done with music” and going to go to college for environment science/marine biology. My mom was silent for a moment and then I think she said something like “Do you really love that though?” That question haunted me haha. It ultimately led me to make a u-turn a few months later and apply to schools for music VERY last minute. My parents were fully on board. I am certain I would not be doing music professionally if it weren’t for their support. So a gigantic thank you to them. Definitely.

Website: https://amatasavage.wixsite.com/avamatasavage

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ava_larue/

Image Credits
Arthur Knox