User:OliviaLA

Chase Matthews

Chase Matthews is an actor, singer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles, California. Chase Matthews has been featured in over 50 musicals, including "Oklahoma". Chase Matthews was born in Chatanooga, Tennessee and raised in Oklahoma. Chase got his first role in a musical at age 17 for "Oklahoma" where he was the youngest member of the cast. Chase moved to Los Angeles, California at the age of 19 to pursue his singing and acting career.

Chase's most recent projects include directing and co-producing the highly acclaimed and award-winning documentary film, "From Silence to Sound"From Silence to Sound

From Silence to Sound

Owasso man’s deaf ears hear, former Owasson captures modern-day miracle on film From silence to sound By Amanda Morgan-Scott Staff Writer amandas@owassoreporter.com Published: Thursday, March 12, 2009 3:25 PM CDT Owasso hasn’t been featured in too many movies. But something happened in this Oklahoma town that just had to be shared with the world.

When Justin Garrett was just two years old, his parents were told he was profoundly deaf.

Click image to enlarge Justin Garrett hears the piano for the first time as his wife, Davina, plays Justin Garrett hears the piano for the first time as his wife, Davina, plays “Growing up in my childhood, being around kids, was pretty difficult,” said Justin of his experiences being different. “I’ve been taunted and called names.”

After decades of being deaf, Justin assumed his world would always be silent. But in 2006, his audiologists recommended a cochlear implant. The encyclopedia describes a cochlear implant, also known as a bionic ear, as “a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.” The surgery isn’t exactly common. Only approximately 150,000 adults and children worldwide have received cochlear implants to date. An even smaller number have received a bilateral (double) cochlear implant. This surgery could enable Justin to hear, but there was a risk of a lifetime of irreversible deafness if the surgery was unsuccessful.

When Justin was told of the possibilities a cochlear implant could have in his life, he was 27 and he and his wife, Davina, were enjoying life together in the great community of Owasso. Life was pretty good, but would it be better if he could hear his wife’s voice and the everyday sounds most people take for granted? Was that chance worth risking irreversible deafness?

“I was nervous, anxious, had huge butterflies in my stomach,” said Justin. “I just felt that it’s a new beginning in my life and I can be a wonderful husband to my wife and make our marriage a lot easier. I have a chance. And I’m not giving up.”

When word of this risky, but amazing surgery reached the ears of a California filmmaker who had grown up it Owasso, it became the subject of a documentary that is now winning awards at major film festivals.

“This was something so much bigger than me,” said Chase Matthews. “I knew I had to had to tell this story.”

Chase also happens to be Davina’s cousin and had known Justin for years.

“When I would see Justin at family parties, I would try to communicate with him and others would try to communicate with him, but eventually he would get frustrated from trying to make us understand and we would get frustrated and I knew that he had always struggled with communication,” said Chase, who was amazed to hear about this historic surgery that would suddenly allow Justin to hear after a lifetime of being deaf.

“I was blown away by the news and couldn’t get it out of my mind,” he said. “How amazing is it that we now have the technology to make a deaf man hear? What a modern-day miracle. I remember thinking, ‘I would love to be there to see Justin hear for the first time.’”

Chase was enthralled with the story and everyone he told was immediately captivated. Chase, who graduated from Owasso High School in 1998, is now an actor/producer/director in Los Angeles. He suddenly realized he could not only witness the miracle, but he could share Justin’s story with the world — by making a documentary.

“There were many problems with my idea,” he said. “First, I live in Los Angeles, Calif., while Justin and his wife, Davina, live in Owasso, Okla. Second, Justin’s surgery was ten days away (A documentary can take years to complete). Third, I had no money and no budget. The odds were stacked against me. It seemed impossible and hopeless, but I knew Justin’s story had to be told.”

Justin and Davina were supportive of the idea. With the help of his long-time friend and producing partner, Jack Polachek, somehow all the details worked out to make Chase’s idea become a reality.

“We created a budget, secured financing, hired a crew and got all of the travel accommodations and shooting schedule together and were on our way to Oklahoma in less than a week,” he said.

On March 13, 2006, Justin was the first recipient of a bilateral (double) cochlear implant in Oklahoma. Chase and his crew were there to film Justin’s surgery, which took just a few hours to complete. Justin’s ears had to heal for about a month before the implants were turned on and everyone held their breath to see if he would be able to hear.

“After a month of anticipation, when Justin was able to hear, I just felt pure exhilaration, joy and relief,” said Chase. “It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”

Chase said Justin’s story by itself was amazing, but add to that the fact that it happened to a family member and then that the movie was filmed in his hometown and the whole experience became a memory Chase will never forget.

“It was a real joy to go back home and shoot a movie in Owasso,” he said.

Chase said making all this happen was crazy and a bit stressful, but definitely worth it.

“Working on this film has been the most rewarding thing I have ever worked on as an artist,” he said. “It made me realize that we all take so much for granted. We can all be so much more thankful for all that we have, including our hearing. I hope this film will remind us of that.”

“From Silence to Sound” was a hit and has won the Best Documentary USA award at the Everglades International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Documentary at the International Film Festival South Africa and also for Best Documentary. The most recent nomination was for an Oklahoma film festival. “From Silence to Sound” was nominated for best documentary at the Trail Dance Film Festival, which was in January 2009 in Duncan.

Executive producer was Jack Polachek, producer was Jenine Mayring and Chase directed. The film is distributed by Brooklyn Girl Productions. For more information or to buy a DVD, visit the official movie Web site at www.fromsilencetosound.com.

As for Justin, he is still enjoying catching up on all the sounds he’s missed the past three decades. And the best sound he has heard so far is the word “Daddy.” Justin and Davina recently adopted 2-year-old Olivia from Kazakhstan. When Justin isn’t busy at his job at a local factory, he watches Olivia while Davina is at work at an Owasso court reporting firm. Now Justin has one more tough decision to make. Which was the best moment of his life — being able to hear for the first time or becoming a dad? That might be a tough one to decide, so Justin will leave it at saying he feels lucky to have experienced two such wonderful miracles in his life. Owasso Reporter