‘Through the Tunnel’ debuts on FTC Sound Stream with SelectaMatt’s story
Aaron Jones launches a new interview series focused on “real stories, real struggles, real progress.”
By Daniel Garcia
Photos by Adrian Kartalozi
A new student-led interview series is hitting the FTC Sound Stream with a focus on one thing: honesty. In the debut episode of Through the Tunnel, host Aaron Jones introduces the show as a place where guests can tell their full story, not just the highlight reel. “I want to just hear the truth from the people,” Jones says, explaining that the show is about where someone came from, what they’re doing now, and what happens in between. His first guest was SelectaMatt, a Long Island-based DJ who says he’s been building his craft since childhood while balancing work, school, and nonstop gigs.
Jones frames the conversation around different “tunnel” stages, starting with “The Quiet Before the Storm,” where SelectaMatt talks about his life before DJing took over. “Honestly, I was about like nine years old when I started DJing,” he says, describing middle school trouble, getting bullied, and learning early how to turn energy into ambition.
SelectaMatt credits his father for bringing home DJ equipment that changed everything, and says watching local inspiration DJ Tchady O. pushed him to take the craft seriously. One missed opportunity still sticks with him: turning down an invite to DJ on a radio station. “If someone can invite me to a radio station, I could do way more,” he says.
Later, the episode shifts into discipline, burnout, and staying grounded. SelectaMatt describes working multiple jobs while DJing full-time and admits that exhaustion can be dangerous. “The only thing that’s keeping me pushing is honestly God,” he says, explaining how faith keeps him steady through pressure. By the end, he shares what he’d tell anyone still trying to break through: “It gets hard before it gets easy.”
Jones closes by promising more episodes and more stories ahead. “I want to hear your life story, per se, and just like take me and the listener through that tunnel,” he says, teasing that “there’s more to come.”
The full debut episode with SelectaMatt is now available to watch on YouTube. Through the Tunnel is live on the FTC Sound Stream on Thursdays at 7pm.
