Matt Hinton: Sacred Harp, Sacred Arts

“Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Matt Hinton grew up loving movies but believed that rock n roll was the more realistic career path.” Thus begins Matt Hinton’s bio on the parallel-love.com site. It continues: While playing in various bands, he studied Religion and Philosophy at Georgia State University, followed by graduate school at Emory University where he studied Theology.

While teaching Religion at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta, he produced, directed (with his wife, Erica Hinton), and edited “Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp (2008),” his first feature documentary, about Sacred Harp singing, a tradition of early American shapenote hymn singing, which has been kept alive in rural Georgia and Alabama for over 150 years. “Awake, My Soul” has screened in at least 4 continents, aired nationwide on PBS, and has been featured in TIME, NPR, Spin, Rolling Stone, NY Times, Chicago Tribune, Pitchfork, & Les Inrockuptibles (France). Hinton was interviewed on “Bob Edward’s Weekend” (NPR) and “On Point with Tom Ashbrook” (NPR) in connection with “Awake, My Soul.”

His next film, “Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury,” follows the path of Luxury, a band from small town Georgia, who, on the cusp of success suffered a devastating wreck. In the intervening years, three members of the band become Eastern Orthodox priests, yet they have persisted in making music. The film is the result of 20 years of informal documentation, as Hinton joined the band in 1999.

Thus, his story begins and ends with rock n’ roll. Especially if he dies soon. In addition to filmmaking, teaching and rock n roll, he has worked as a carpenter, a photographer and a seller of architectural antiques. He currently owns and operates Bell Street Burritos (named one of the top 10 burritos in America by USA Today) which he began in his kitchen in the home he shares with his wife and 3 kids.