Letter to Fans
Posted by Matt on February 24th, 2010
Dear friends of Rooney –
It is with much mixed emotion I announce my departure from the band. Just a few days ago, I let the guys know that it’s time for me to take my life in a new direction. This has been the most difficult decision of my life so far, as Rooney has been the most significant fixture in my world, by far, for the past decade.
From age 17 until now (27), I have lived and breathed music with Ned, Louis, Robert, and Taylor. Rooney was a lifestyle, an escape, and an obstacle course rolled into one. For a long time, it was the only thing that really mattered to me. I look back at those times as some of the most unadulterated and sincere moments of my life. I cherish the shared passion and drive that we possessed as a group, and will always remember the music we made together. In fact, I take an enormous amount of pride in what we accomplished musically.
Over the last few years I have become less satisfied with my professional life. This has been a difficult reality to accept, as my now ex-bandmates are very important people to me, and I have had trouble accepting that my road might no longer be with them. I didn’t want to acknowledge that this enormously fortunate lifestyle wasn’t for me anymore. Whereas I once wanted nothing more than to tune-out the world and play with my friends, I now feel an obligation to move on and tackle new goals.
My plan is to continue my education and become a doctor. I have a huge amount of time that needs to be made-up, but that is a tiny price to pay for the experiences that I’ve had.
To all the people who have supported my band: I appreciate your loyalty and passion for music more than you could ever understand. While it is all-too-easy to take one’s fans for granted, I hold you all fully responsible for this crazy, bizarre, and enriching adventure that I’ve been on for the last ten years. My life will never be the same, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for letting this project of mine affect you so greatly. You have changed my life.
Take care, and good luck to all of you. Please don’t let this upset you. The band will go on without me, and I am on the path to great happiness. I am leaving you with the best record we ever made, and look forward to joining you guys in the audience at a show sometime soon.
Your friend,
Matthew Winter
P.S.
Although I’m not very active on facebook, I invite you all to friend request me and keep in touch. I made it a habit to keep my friends and fans separate in the past, but consider you all to be my friends now.
Matt,
I am sad to hear this news, but completely understand. So much changes in our lives in a decade! I applaud you for following your desires and dreams. I wish you the best of luck. You will be missed!
Christine
Matt,
((hugs))
You will most certainly be greatly missed!! A crossroads in life is most certainly an extremely difficult decision to be faced with and I applaud you for taking that difficult step. I can only imagine how difficult it was. I will forever be grateful for the music and bass you brought to the band and continue to support them and you. God bless you Matt. See you in FB.
that’s a beautiful farewell Matt!thank you for have been part of this band! we still love you…..Good luck man!
p.s. we will miss you for sure….=)
I am sad to hear about the news but believe in your future path. I congratulate you on pursuing your dreams and wish you all the best! You will truly be missed but I know you will make a greater impact on the world as a doctor. Thank you for your contribution to the musical world.
Aditi
While I can’t say that I’m not disappointed, I do wish you enormous amounts of luck in following your heart for potentially bigger and better things. Rooney shows will not be the same without your cool, nonchalant attitude balancing out the stage. But as I said, I wish you the best of luck and all the best in life. I hope you find what it is you’re looking for. ~Bree
Aww matt, we’ll all miss you. I wish you the best of luck!
I wish you the best of luck Matt & I hope you know that you will be missed greatly. I’m so glad I got to the pleasure of meeting you & seeing you play live twice. Rooney shows won’t be the same without you Matt. Good luck & I hope you find your happiness!
Matt, You will be missed and I wish the best of luck to you in school and your career! I hope to see you at a show in LA and we will party in the crowd!
I’m sad that I would never gonna have the opportunity of hear you play on a show, but happy for you, I wish you the best on your career and follow your goals….
Goodbye Matt. Good luck on your new career choice and I wish you lots of happiness in your future. Rooney won’t be the same without you.
Matt, it was a great pleasure getting to talk with you and watching you play. I’m going to miss you. Best wishes on your medical career pursuit! God Bless you with good health, happiness and Great Success in everything you choose to do.
take care and good luck Matt (:
It has been a pleasure to listen to the music you have made together, and of course play live. I do hope to see you in the crowd with us someday
And good luck to you!!
Wow… well you’ll definitely be missed! I hope all goes well with med school.
I don’t really know what to feel, haha. As sad I as I’m abour the fact that you’re leaving the band, it’s a beautiful thing to know that you want to be a doctor. Rooney is a special part of my life and so are all of you guys. I wish you all the best, Matt. <3
Dear Matt your decision is not a surprise for me. I observed you in many concerts, my impression was always that you are a great bass player but that your intellect needs more stuff. I thought that soon or later you will become a jazz bass player . I know that you don’t will stop to play the music and this at the end is the most important thing. I wish you all the best for your life. Thank you for the music. It would be nice if sometimes you come around and tell us how is going..a big hug with much love…Isabella
Te echaremos mucho de menos ! gracias por toda la musica que has hecho junto a Rooney…me ha hecho ser un poco mas feliz! =)
Mis mejores deseos! con cariño, Helena
Matt,
We will always love you!
I’m so sad that you won’t be playing with Rooney anymore, but you are going to be an AMAZING doctor! Your patient’s will be very lucky. I wish you all the best and thank you for all of the great memories
Oh man, I can’t believe that this band, that I’ve been supporting for so long, has lost a member… But I’m happy that it was for a personal project of yours, so I wish you all the luck.
And all I have to say is thank you for have contributed to make Rooney one of my favorite band.
Cheers,
Vico, your Brazilian fan
You are awesome. I want you to know that I fully support you in fulfilling your life by becoming a doctor. I have great pride in you and I want you to know that although you will be missed, I am happy that you are choosing a path that was made because you wanted to make a change for yourself. You feel the need to go down a different road, shall we say? As long as you and Rooney did not have “differences”, I am happy for you. I hope you carry out with your dream and are just as much of a success if not more than you were with Rooney. You will be missed, your quietness, you and your cool glasses, you will be missed. I think you already know that though.
Don’t be a stranger, I’ll send you a friend request on facebook.
- Jacqueline, a devout Rooney fan in Portland, .
-PS Perhaps you remember me, I was the one who made a Wild One Poster / graphically done for Rooney, I have a photo of all of us together.
-PPS- Good Luck to you Matt.
Matt,
I want to thank you for visiting Denver in December while touring with Rooney. I appreciate the fact that you were the only band member to actually get to know the people on your street team and didn’t mind chatting up with me while you were waiting on a late taxi. I think it’s incredible what you’re about to embark on. Good luck with those graduate tests! Lots of studying & good vibes coming your way.
Suzie
Matt, we’re really going to miss you, but I certainly respect your decision. Wow, medicine? That’s so cool. Imagine those lucky patients of yours who will one day say, “my doctor used to be a rock star.”
I once had surgery by a dr my sister said looked like Donnie Osmond. (I was horrified.) Please tell us you’re not going into ob/gyn.
Best of luck to you!!! I’m going to miss you and your dark sunglasses anchoring stage left.
You really went above and beyond in this farewell — proof that Rooney cares about the fans! The fans will miss you so much. It’s a brave thing to leave your comfort zone and enter into the unknown future, especially when you’re pursing a career as a doctor! Good luck with everything, Matt
I’m so sad that I won’t get the opportunity to see you play again but am proud of you for going after something that you really want. You were the first member of Rooney (or any band) that I met about 7 years ago after my 2nd Rooney show and still remember that day as one of the best experiences of my life. I’m so glad I got to see you play one last time in December. Good luck with medical school! We’ll miss you….Lauren
I am horribly sad. I keep hoping for a follow up letter that says “JUST KIDDING” but I’ve waited and it’s still not posted. I have been a Rooney fan for 7 years now and I can’t see Rooney without Matt. It’s almost impossible.
Although I’m feeling awfully upset about this, I really am happy that Matt has found a new path that leads him closer to his purpose in life.
Thank you so much, Matt for sharing your wonderful gift with us and I will miss you greatly. Good luck and I hope one day I will have the chance to be one of your patients(;
I have been a Rooney fan for many years now and although I am deeply saddened by this news, I am very excited for Matt and his new medical endeavor. I myself am a vet student and I know that you will love med school. Thank you Matt, and the rest of Rooney, for all the music you have made over the years. You will be deeply missed. Good luck and have fun in school!!!
Matt,
I will never forget the memories. You are awesome, and are the reason my “I Dig Bassists” t-shirt was created back in ’02!
Best of luck! xoxo
Matt –
I’ve listened to you guys since sometime close to the beginning and recently started really listening again. I regret that I never got to see you guys live, but I can understand wanting to follow a new path. Best of luck in the highly competitive world that is med school.
– Meredith
Matt, we bet all fans are very upset, but at the same time we hope you’re happy. We understand that sometimes we have to leave something to get others – especially when it’s something so important as happiness. So good luck, guy. We’ll never forget you.
Matt,
I think we, Rooney fans, cannot concieve the band without you. Good luck with your new life, I’m sure you’ll be a great doctor. We’ll miss you but we’re happy you’re following your dreams.
G.
FU Matt.
i saw you in concert when you played at in LA, and you looked bored and depressed. so to see this post is no surprise.
seriously though good luck and please dont be my doctor, i will punch you.
Good luck with everything, Matt! I know you’ll do great.
I’m so sorry to hear that =( but I understand, It’s your calling and it is time for you to answer… many people don’t find their true vocation in life until some time later… Good luck!! All the best!
I love Rooney
PS: You’ll be hard to replace
^^your fan from argentina
Matt,
I am so sorry to see you go. But best of luck on the road to becoming a doctor. It’s a tough journey but after being a rock star for a while, I’m sure you can handle it.
(Rooney won’t be the same without a bassist like you)
Sincerely,
Diana
Matt:
It is sad to know that you will go. But I support wholeheartedly, is a difficult decision. But you do what you think suitable for you. And build your future as you wish.
Rooney will not be the same without you.
Lots of greetings from Argentina.
Camm