The last year and a half have been incredibly difficult for Matt Mauser. He lost his wife, Christina, in January 2020. Christina, who was a basketball coach, was a passenger on the helicopter that also killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter when it crashed in Los Angeles. Despite the fact that things in Matt’s life will never be the same, he is doing his best to move forward and do the things he enjoys. One of those things is writing and performing music, and Matt recently put on an incredible performance on America’s Got Talent. His talent left the judges speechless and earned him a spot in the next round of the show. Keep reading to learn 10 things you didn’t know about Matt Mauser.
1. He Is A California Native
For the most part, Matt is a pretty private person so there isn’t a lot of information out there on his upbringing. We do know, however, that he was born and raised in Southern California and has lived there all of his life. He attended California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
2. He Loves To Swim
Matt has always been drawn to the water, and he is a very talented swimmer. He was a member of the swim team during his college years and has continued to swim for fun over the years. After his wife’s death, swimming became a great tool to help him work through his grief.
3. He Is In A Band
During his performance on America’s Got Talent, the world was introduced to Matt as a solo artist. However, he doesn’t always perform by himself. He is also a member of the band Tijuana Dogs and they are very well known in the Southern California area. Matt is also a Frank Sinatra tribute singer.
4. He Is A Proud Father
There are a lot of things that Matt is known for, but nothing makes him prouder than being a dad. He has three children who he loves spending as much time with as he can. They have had to make some adjustments over the last year and a half, but they are happy to have each other.
5. He Is A Teacher
Matt is the true definition of a man of many talents. On top of being a great musician and a talented swimmer, he is also a great Spanish teacher. According to the bio on his website, “He even combined his love of music and academics into a unique educational project, Rockin’ the Class, which taught children the fundamentals of Spanish through a selection of songs Matt had written, performed, and recorded.”
6. He Has A YouTube Channel
When you’re trying to make it as a performer, having a strong online presence is essential. After all, in this day and age, the internet is the first place people run when they want to hear new music or learn more about an artist. Matt has worked hard to establish himself on the internet and he started a YouTube channel where he posts music-related content. Although he has less than 3,000 followers, his channel has more than 700,000 views.
7. He Does His Best To Stay Positive
Losing a loved one is never an easy thing to deal with, especially when the person’s death is tragic and sudden like Christina’s. Despite what he’s gone through, Matt is the kind of person who does his best to stay optimistic and find good things to look forward to. His positive attitude has also been helpful for his children.
8. AGT Is His First TV Competition Show
Even though Matt has been writing songs and performing for quite some time now, it appears that America’s Got Talent is the first time he’s been on any kind of TV show. Even though he’s not used to being on camera, Matt didn’t let it show for one second.
9. He Met His Wife Through His Music
It’s always nice when something you love leads you to someone you love, and that’s exactly how Matt and Christina’s love story began. The couple met at one of Tijuana Dog’s performances. Matt’s music is also what led him and the rest of the family to meet Kobe Bryant. Matt would eventually become instrumental in Kobe’s process for writing his book Geese Are Never Swans.
10. He Likes Spending Time Outdoors
Matt’s schedule tends to be on the busy side, but he also likes to make time to decompress and simply enjoy life. Matt likes to get outside as often as he can and take advantage of the beautiful Southern California weather. As a swimmer, he especially loves spending time at the beach.
