OXFORD – Chenango County native Matt Nakoa will bring his unique brand of melodic folk rock to Six on the Square in Oxford on March 7 at 7:30 p.m.

Matt Nakoa grew up in various locations around Chenango County. His childhood was spent on a goat farm in Smyrna and he ultimately ended up going to high school and graduating from Sherburne-Earlville in 2002.

Nakoa discovered his love for music at an early age. He shared a story of a childhood Christmas when he first realized the power of music. He reminisced about his entire family being gathered for a Christmas celebration at the goat farm in Smyrna. He remembers everyone singing Christmas carols. “Even people who never sing were singing,” said Nakoa. The young boy then became intrigued by this seemingly magical quality that music possessed and he has made it his life's path.

Nakoa's first foray into the world of music came in the form of the trombone. From there, Nakoa began to branch off into singing and an avid love of the piano.

“I got into the piano around the age of 13 and really got into classical stuff,” said Nakoa. “I really just loved classical music – Beethoven, Chopin, all that stuff.”

Nakoa admitted that the allure of classical music for him was the fact that it was something that nobody understood. “My parents didn’t know it or get it, and my friends certainly didn’t understand it, so it was cool – because it was my thing,” said Nakoa. “It was kind of a rebellious thing.”

For people just starting to get into music, Nakoa stressed the importance of making it something personal. “It has got to be your own thing,” said Nakoa. “If it's not your own – if it's something your parents are telling you that you should do – it's never going to last and it's never going to make you happy.”

With his passion for music and armed with a piano, Nakoa began his professional career while still in high school. The Bullthistle Inn – now the Sherburne Inn – gave Nakoa his first real musical gig. He said that he would go there and play for the Friday night crowd, that it was his first real job. “I basically just started working as a piano player – going around and doing that while I was in high school,” said Nakoa.