A 'Hallelujah' moment with the Schulers

Jerome Reynolds, Staff Reporter

Many Christian parents would hesitate to allow their children to enter secular talent shows which would expose them to 'the evils of showbiz', but not the family of Matthew Schuler, a finalist in the popular United States talent show 'The Voice'.

Described as the modern-day Cosby clan in terms of how tightly knit and fond of each other they are, the Schuler family has different characters to each individual. Diamond Schuler is the feisty firecracker sister, Matthew is the stubborn brother, which he has admitted candidly, Donald Schuler Junior (DJ) is the gentle giant, the gentleman and the protector, and Dawn, the mother is the homemaker with such warmth and humility that she has passed directly to Matthew. Rev Donald Schuler is the father that binds them together. He's the walking encyclopaedia. On a recent trip with The Gleaner on the north coast, DJ admitted that he had the "itis" but his daddy would quickly remind them that its called "postprandial surge" and shared the explanation.

Dawn is the best singer of the family.

As different as their personalities are, they come together to make one impressive and solid unit that represents a good and stable black family living in a modern-day world. So, as much as Matthew is the voice, the family is never far behind. They move as one unit. But, even though Matthew might be the star of the family, each member has admitted that the mamma matriarch Dawn is the one with the best voice and the best range.

On a relaxing ride on the Sky Explorer above the cool forest at Mystic Mountain in St Ann, matriarch of the Schuler clan, Dawn, gushed about her 'baby boy' as she spoke to The Gleaner.

The Schulers were feted to a recent 'yardstyle' Jamaican experience by the newspaper during their visit to the island, where Matthew was booked to perform at the Shaggy and Friends concert.

Dawn stated that the family has never restricted how Matthew expressed himself musically as they believe he has a special gift which should be shared with the world. "We are a family of ministers and singers, and what better way to minister than through music?" she said.

She continued: "We know people are going to judge and ask questions about why he is doing this or that, but we are prepared for that. Our family is so tight that, if the world shuts us out, we will survive."

Contemporary music

In places like Jamaica with its majority Christian principles, many religious families are not readily open to gospel artistes who do contemporary music. The tide has shifted, to an extent, in recent years, with the emergence of the new sounds such as gospel reggae and gospel rap and hip hop. These genres have long been embraced in places like the US where the Schulers are from.

Mummy Schuler went on to say that music and performing is a family legacy so, for her, it was only natural for Matthew to find his voice.

"We (my siblings) started in our home with my father's church, so it was not crazy that I brought up my children that way. They were raised around music, it wasn't a teaching thing. It just happened," she
stated.

Dawn says the family gives its full support to Matthew
and is not concerned by those who may want to judge her son for the
music he does. "We have been singing so long, so I am happy that the
Lord has used Matthew to open the door," she said
emphatically."

She continued, "He is only 21. To me,
he is still my baby. As a mother, you know your child and you are gonna
know when you can release them and know that they are gonna be fine,"
she said in a warm, motherly voice.

Relationship with
Christ

For his part, Matthew says it is the love for
God and living their lives by His principles which is the biggest cord
that binds the Schuler family together. "The most important thing that
we share is our relationship with Christ. My parents are very
hardworking individuals, my brother and sister work superhard, too; they
are my best friends and our relationship with Jesus keeps us together
and loving each other and loving others," he
added.

Matthew lists alternative, indie rock,
R&B and soul among his musical influences. His soulful, rocker
sound got him one of the fastest four-chair turns by judges in 'The
Voice' history, with his rendition of Cough Syrup by
band Young the Giant.

His cover of the popular song
Hallelujah got him the most attention during the
competition, with the song landing at number two on the iTunes chart.
Matthew already gained a few fans recently at the Shaggy and Friends
concert when he performed a cover of Wayne Wonder's No letting
Go.

- Additional reporting by Garfene
Grandison

Photos by Gladstone Taylor / Photographer