Satisfaction beyond music
Amelia couple will share its story during this weekend's Jehovah's Witnesses' meeting
BY ALBERTA LINDSEY
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Saturday, July 2, 2005
Matt Tucciarone's music career was starting to take off when he ditched it because it was in the way of something else he wanted to do -- spend more time on church work. 
"A lot of the music business conflicted with my religious beliefs," said the drummer and producer, who was baptized into Jehovah's Witnesses in 1987.
Back then, Tucciarone and his wife, Debbie, a singer and songwriter, lived in Hollywood, Calif.
Before moving to the West Coast, Debbie Tucciarone was a singer with bands in the Richmond area.
Now the couple has a ceramic tile business in Amelia and serve as full-time ministers in Jehovah's Witnesses. Music is their hobby rather than a livelihood.
The Tucciarones talked about their lifestyle changes Thursday afternoon after helping set up the Richmond Coliseum for this weekend's Jehovah's Witnesses' meeting.
A total of about 32,000 people are expected to attend the denomination's four district conventions, which began last weekend and will continue for this and the next two weekends.
The meetings, which are free and open to the public, begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday and conclude at 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
Tucciarone will tell his story during today's 2 p.m. session.
Ron Sledd, who worships at the Amelia Congregation, said the Tucciarones are examples of this year's convention theme, "Godly Obedience."
Although Matt and Debbie went to Hollywood in the early 1980s hoping to make it big in music, they didn't meet until 1987, while attending a Bible study.
"Within 11 months, we were baptized and married," Debbie said. They moved to Richmond five years ago and to Amelia a year ago.
The couple settled in Amelia because few Jehovah's Witnesses live there, leaving more opportunity to witness.
The couple could have kept on with their music careers, but "we wanted to be more involved in Jehovah's Witnesses," Matt said. "I have friends in the entertainment world who are Jehovah's Witnesses."
They have tried to simplify their lives and reduce their expenses. They don't have things like cable television.
"It's more in keeping with the Bible's counsel to keep a simple life," Debbie said. "It's a good way of life. It reduces stress and I feel it's a more purposeful life."
Matt added: "It's a very uncomplicated life. We can focus on the ministry. To me that's what a simple life is."
Debbie said she had wanted to be a songwriter to uplift people. "But a Bible study is a better way to uplift people. It's a better way to help people than to hope that they listen to your songs. I wanted to learn what was God's will and just do it and see where that would lead me."
Although leaving the music industry was a hard decision, Matt said, he's never doubted it was the right decision.
"I wasn't unhappy. I just knew I couldn't pursue Jehovah's Witnesses like I wanted to," he said.
"I didn't have any friends that weren't musicians. I was very narrow minded. Leaving really made me a more rounded person. I became a better person. Less selfish. In the entertainment business, the focus is on you. In Jehovah's Witnesses, it's what you can do for others." Contact Alberta Lindsey at (804) 649-6754 or [email protected]