Matty Gottesman is back for another Spring Sing, this time with company.

Singer-songwriter and producer Gottesman – a performer at the virtual 2024 Spring Sing – is bringing his original song “Voice of Reason” to the Los Angeles Tennis Center stage Friday. Differing from his prior solo performances, the third-year communication student said he is excited to perform with a band and in person this year, sharing his upbeat single with his bandmates and the UCLA community.

Compared to his 2024 audition – a slow solo ballad titled “Habit of Fate” – Gottesman said “Voice of Reason” is more energetic and up-tempo. He initially wrote the song before he met his bandmates through the music co-learning organization SLAM at UCLA and said he has loved watching his collaborators improve their parts of the song from that original idea.

“It’s one of the songs that I was really excited to play with the band, and they haven’t disappointed,” Gottesman said. “It’s really, really fun to play with them, and it’s taken on this whole life of its own.”

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A lifelong instrumentalist and singer, Gottesman said he began honing his craft as a producer during the pandemic, allowing him to become self-sufficient as an artist. From there, he began releasing songs professionally – hopping between his interests in pop, rock, country and other genres in the recording studio – said Jordan Kasedy, Gottesman’s manager.

But even with that passion and intuition, Kasedy said Gottesman’s approach to songwriting and production has evolved. Kasedy was introduced to Gottesman when he was around 16 and said he has developed more relatable lyricism, stronger production sensibilities and a more singular artistic voice since.

“He’s grown and changed immensely. … At a young age, it is difficult to figure out what your own sound is and where you fit in genrewise as a singer,” Kasedy said. “But also Matty being so multitalented, with production and writing and also singing, he really has the trifecta.”

That talent shines through from Gottesman’s evolving songwriting to his intuition for production. He is able to absorb mainstream trends and break down what makes a song special or important, Kasedy said.

Grant Arnow, an entertainment attorney, said he recognized musicality – an “X factor,” as he called it – when he first heard Gottesman’s work. He said he began to share Gottesman’s recordings with fellow musicians, securing connections with high-profile instrumentalists – the same who work with Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams and other trendsetters – who began to work with Gottesman on his recordings. Arnow said someone of Gottesman’s age being able to effectively work with these high-profile musicians is a unique skill.

“His musicality is sufficiently high to justify even being in the room,” Arnow said. “Everybody enjoys working with him, but his best quality is the fact that he continues to come up with really brilliant ideas seemingly without end, which is a rare skill.”

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During his second year at UCLA, Gottesman said he extended his list of collaborations with his classmates. He had written songs like “Habit of Fate” with a band in mind and said he was excited to begin collaborating on a pop-rock sound with his friends.

“Music is something that’s best when it’s shared,” Gottesman said. “Whether that’s at my friend’s apartment, with my band or with the entire UCLA community, it’s something that I think is really unique to music.”

Gottesman has since brought performances to venues across LA – The Bourbon Room and The Mint, for example – as well as across campus. Gottesman said he especially enjoys the opportunity to support good causes with his music, such as his performance at the Pediatric AIDS Coalition’s 2025 Dance Marathon and End Overdose at UCLA’s fundraiser, which was one of his first performances with his bandmates.

For Gottesman, being able to be a part of and support his community is more important now than ever. In the wake of January’s LA county wildfires – in which Gottesman and his family lost their home – he said he has appreciated the support of the UCLA community as his band performs across campus, including on Friday’s Spring Sing stage.

“It’s really made me embrace the community that I have at UCLA,” Gottesman said. “Being able to give back to that and be a part of that community has really been something that I haven’t taken for granted and haven’t taken lightly the last few months.”