Lemont Recording Artist Conor Matthews to Perform at ISU

Lemont recording artist Conor Matthews will provide an hour of entertainment at Illinois State University on Tuesday prior to an on-campus election debate.

Matthews, 17, will perform at 7 p.m. in the Prairie Room at the Bone Student Center, 400 W. Locust St. in Normal, IL. He will be accompanied by his drummer, Brett Szulc.

Tuesday's event was organized by Turning Point USA, a group of students concerned about the current level of national debt and how it will impact their generation's future. The debate will focus on fiscal responsibility and the upcoming election.

Conor's mom, Linda Matthews, said her son was selected to play because of a song he wrote, "Let Your Voice Be Heard," which will be played at the end of the debate. (The song can be heard in the video to the right.) 

"(The group) heard Conor's song and they now view it as a rally cry for young voters to make sure they speak up this election," Linda Matthews said in an email to Patch. "While Conor's song was originally written as a reminder to himself to speak up about his faith, the more he played it the more he realized it was a reminder to all people to speak about anything they value most—  their faith, a friend who needs help, which direction our country is headed, or any number of other things."

Conor Matthews, a senior at , has a recording contract with Tate Music Group. His debut album, "It's the Change," was released on Amazon.com and iTunes in May.

In Lemont, Matthews performs regularly at  and open mic night. 

He is also a standout student at Lemont High School, ranking among the top 5 percent of his class. He participated in the school's production of "Beauty and the Beast" his freshman year, and was cast in a state-qualifying drama production. He has also participated in marching band, Foreign Language Club, Model United Nations and Future Business Leaders of America.

Next year, Matthews hopes to attend Belmont University in Nashville, TN, to study music business.

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