Rock On: April Alumni of the Month, Matt Mireles
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Rock On!
April Alumni of the Month, Matt Mireles
BY LAURA SPAULDING, Staff Writer/ Educational Consultant
We are beyond excited to feature Matt Mireles, TJS Class of 2017, as our April Alum of the Month! Today is an especially exciting day, as it happens to be the day his band, Zegovia, releases their latest single, "Q&U"! Matt’s band is a genre-bending alt-rock band featuring Matt on drums, Matt’s brother Seth on vocals, Alex Larson on bass, and Quincy Cotton on guitar. Matt and Seth began writing songs in their garage as teenagers, and while they have produced and performed together for many years, their band officially reformed as Zegovia in 2025. “Zegovia delivers a powerful live performance filled with genre-bending originals that stem from their love of rock, alternative, punk, and even country icons from the generations that came before.”
It was while Matt was in Middle School at TJS that he first began playing drums. From the very first jam session with his brother in their family home, there was something about the drums that captured Matt’s heart and mind. Soon enough, he was practicing every day for hours. This was a far cry from the Matt who’d been labeled as unfocused or “not trying hard enough” by former schools and teachers.
Because of his vivacious personality, positive outlook on life, and his insatiable curiosity, Matt managed to keep his head above water while attending his neighborhood public school. However, he was always stressed out, never looked forward to school, and was always nervous to advocate for himself during those elementary years. But then, once he started middle school, his diagnosed learning differences in both mathematics and language caught up with him as his academic and social confidence further plummeted.
Matt first came to The Joy School as a 7th grader, and while he was only with us for two years, his progress was remarkable, and his impact on our school was permanent. According to Matt, his “time at TJS was unforgettable and life-changing.” He recalls going from “feeling like the dumbest kid in the classroom to feeling confident in every class.” He said, “The other students were genuinely kind and valued me for who I was. And the teachers were always pouring out positivity and support.”
It is ironic that he so vividly recalls the kindness and positivity of TJS, when his teachers credit him with bringing unparalleled kindness and positivity to our school. One of his teachers even compared him to a golden retriever who noticed and cheered on everyone he had ever met.
Ms. Dorr says, “From day one, we noticed his craving for understanding, especially as it relates to how minds function and learn. Matt quickly became an expert at how his own brain worked and used his curiosity to help other students discover their own unique gifts.” We have been privileged to be a part of not only following Matt’s academic journey, but also his musical journey. In 7th and 8th grade, his band played at our middle school dance, then later came back to play at our 25th Anniversary Party! The TJS teachers who were there for his first show at The House of Blues remember the joy they felt watching his drumsticks come to life in his hands. Last year, his band released their first album, and most recently, they have completed studio work on a second album due out later this year.
Matt not only made tremendous progress academically and musically during his time at TJS, but he also came to embrace his unique gifts with confidence and his challenges with optimism and resilience. After 8th grade graduation, Matt attended St. Pius High School, up until his music career took off, requiring more flexibility than traditional school offered. He ended up graduating early from Fusion High School, before going on to graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, in 2025.
According to Matt, his early struggles in school prepared him for the bumpy road that is the music industry today. For starters, the band has persisted in writing honest music despite their sound not matching the Houston music scene. Pulling off such fearless honesty in their music and lyrics is not always easy, but it is a value they are unwilling to compromise. A value Matt says he learned at TJS as teachers encouraged him to be himself and advocate for himself. “As a kid, I thought that advocacy only applied to the classroom, but the older I get, I realize it applies to every area of my life. TJS taught me to stand up for myself, what I believe, and what I am worth.” Matt once described the hardest part of being in a band as being overlooked or taken advantage of as a musician. In the band’s song, “Flies”, these struggles are directly addressed, as well as all the frequent hardships that come with being a creative stuck in a stifling system, be that the music industry or the traditional school system.
Matt credits much of where he is today to the two years he spent as a TJS Middle School student. Not only because it helped him discover his worth and build self-advocacy skills, but also in the way it taught him executive functioning skills that he uses today as he juggles all his musical responsibilities. When not touring or recording with Zegovia, Matt teaches drum classes at School of Rock, is his church’s drummer, functions as a social media manager, and does session work out of his home studio.
Despite the naysayers, and with the help of his time at TJS, Matt has proudly figured out a way to make money doing what he loves. He manages to stay very busy, but, in his own words, “my life revolves around drums, so it’s a very non-stressful kind of busy. I’m very blessed that I get paid to do what I love on a daily basis.”
Well, Matt! We are very blessed to have been a small part of your journey, and we can’t wait to see where your journey takes you next!
If you would like to connect, collaborate, or support Matt, you can reach out to him on his social media: @mattymdrums and @zegoviaband.
For more information on how your child can reach their own academic and social potential in a safe supportive environment, visit our website or join us for an upcoming parent tour.