WesCeleb: Matt Leddy ’08

Though some might be intimidated by his tall, dark and handsome appearance, Matt Leddy ’08 is a friendly, unassuming, all-around nice guy, bearing a message of love and acceptance for the world. His threads may be hipster-esque, but it seems that Matt’s mentality is all flower-child. Well, aside from shredding metal music. And playing jazz piano. And feeding his guns with muscle milk. Matt and I met yesterday at 4:20 [we were only smoking cigarettes, I swear…] in the shade of the Usdan Campus Center to talk about his many-sided self. Read on to find out more.

CB: I’ve seen you play music around Wesleyan a lot. Can you tell me a little bit about the bands you’re playing in now?

ML: None. I quit playing in bands, but I had been Spirit Marines for the past 3 or 4 years. Since freshman year, I’d say. And Babewatch, best band ever. I still live with 2/5 of the Babewatch band. Oh, and I guess I’m gonna be in a metal band soon, if scan-man (Josh Scannell ’08) ever picks up his act. With me, Scantron, Runge (Will Runge ’09), and I forget who else… I guess whoever feels like playing some heavy stuff. Really de-tuned, super blehhh [makes incoherent noise], A-sharp kind of shit. With some shreds too, serious shreds.

CB: So now, besides the possible metal band, you are just doing stuff by yourself? Why did you decide to just do your own thing?

ML: It gives me the freedom to work out logistics of chords on my own terms, without having to communicate it to anyone else. I don’t know. It’s just nice to have the freedom to do it myself.

CB: Is there anywhere on campus that interested folks can hear your music?

ML: Um, in my room when everyone in the house is drunk. No real performing yet. The tracks are pretty basic right now. I’m sort of putting a lot of pressure on myself because I want it to be really good. So I want to make sure its pretty tight before anyone can hear them. These tracks have got to be off the meat-rack. I would like to play a show before I graduate though… as long as people dance.

CB: You’re a Film [Studies] major, but no thesis. Explain. Did you like the film department?

ML: Yeah, I really did. But I decided not to make a film because this was the first year they asked people not to do it. And I wasn’t really planning on doing it anyways. And it’s fucking expensive… Last year some kids spent like 20, 30 thousand bucks on their movies. Why would I do that for something that I would show to my friends and family and maybe a few future employers? I was going to write a screenplay. But I’m really just interested in working in the film industry from the bottom up, starting with the craziest shittiest jobs. I’ve done a lot of crazy shitty jobs in my life and I really like to. It’s interesting to see the world from that perspective because 99 percent of people can’t go to fancy schools and make great connections, so it’s nice to gain experience in the same way.

CB: Do you have any tattoos to speak of?

ML: No… I thought about getting some esoteric magic talisman, like sacred geometry type stuff. Which is cool, but I sort of like my body without anything on it. I don’t have any piercing either. I did dye my hair in the eigth grade back when I was a punk.

CB: Hmm, no tattoos and no piercing. I have heard, however, that you’ve been focusing on the body a bit lately, trying to bulk up. Lots of muscle milk in your fridge?

ML: Ew, Never touched the stuff. [laughs.] Indeed I have. Well I’ve just always been a skinny, scrawny kind of guy. It’s really hard for me to gain weight. I’ve been the same weight since the eighth grade. So yeah… I guess the muscle milk helps a little bit. But that’s embarrassing. It’s pretty nasty too, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried it.

CB: Can’t say that I have.

ML: It’s this mix between soy-milk and other nasty chunky milky stuff. Gets the job done though. I love it. Just IV that shit right into my veins.

CB: Changing up the subject a bit, as a senior, your time at Wesleyan is rapidly coming to a close. Have you enjoyed yourself? Glad you came here?

ML: Yeah, I’ve met amazing people. I’ve had a blast. Still having a lot of fun. I’ve enjoyed my time at Wesleyan, and I love the people and the professors. But somehow this place as an institution doesn’t quite work. It seems like there is some error in communication somehow between administration and students. It’s not working as a unified thing. And that could just be my impression now because I’m ready to go. I’m ready to get into the real world and see what happens. Go to some water parks.

CB: So I guess that about wraps things up, but do you have any last words? What legacy would you like to leave as a Wes Celeb?

ML: Okay, okay. So. I’ve done a lot of thinking… a lot of research. [pause]

CB: And?

ML: I think fundamentally our experience of life is determined by our choice between two distinct attitudes. One is the attitude of fear. And you know, that can manifest itself in a lot of ways: fear of the future, fear of the present. Fear of judgment by others and yourself. Fear of breaking rules that may or may not be real, they could just be in your mind. A lot of people go through life waiting to be offended, looking for opportunities to take offense. And those people, in my opinion, are not happy in the moment. Then there are people who instead of waiting to pounce on something that offends them for whatever reason, there are people who live under the other attitude which is love and acceptance. And yeah, if you live your life along those two guiding principles I think that you can’t help but have a good life. If you welcome the things around you and enjoy them, or at least think they are kind of funny. It’s not about what’s around you, it’s about how you are relating to the things around you in any given moment. So I’d say, choose love. There’s nothing to be afraid of. Or at least enjoy yourself while you’re here because we’re not here for that long.

CB: Cool. Those sound like some wise words. I guess… here’s to love and acceptance?

ML: To love and acceptance. Let’s go get drunk.