As a performer of jazz and popular music, Matt has worked with Ray Charles, The Temptations, Dave Rivello, Bob Brookmeyer, Peter Erskine, Maria Schneider, Julia Dollison, Melvin Rhyne, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra, The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, and the national touring companies of Hairspray, 42nd Street, and The Producers. As a band leader and soloist, Matt has performed at jazz festivals and venues throughout the United States. He has three albums to his credit, Live at Snider Hall, Psalm Songs and the recently released Time and Direction.
Matt received the Doctor of Musical Arts (Saxophone Performance and Literature) and Master of Music (Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media) degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While at Eastman, Matt studied with Ramon Ricker. He performed with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Eastman Graduate Saxophone Quartet, and served as lead alto saxophone of the Eastman Jazz Ensemble. Matt received the Bachelor of Music Education degree with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Matt has presented educational clinics and research at the Jazz Education Network Conference, the International Association for Jazz Education Conference, the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Hong Kong Institute of Education, and the Indiana Music Educators Association Conference. His publications have been featured in Jazzed magazine and on jazzradio247.com.
Currently, Matt is the director of jazz studies at Butler University where leads the Jazz Ensemble and teaches courses in the jazz studies curriculum. Under his direction, Butler ensembles have performed with world-renowned guest artists such as Bobby Sanabria, Donny McCaslin, Fred Sturm, Melvin Rhyne, Steve Allee, Ted Poor and the Wee Trio.
Matt is a member of the national music honor society, Pi Kappa Lambda, and in 2013, he received the Mortar Board, Excellence in Teaching Award from the Jordan College of the Arts. He is also a past president of the Indiana Jazz Education Association.
In February 2009, Matt founded the Butler Youth Jazz Program and Butler Summer Jazz Camp. From these programs, students have progressed to study at some of the top music conservatories and colleges in the United States.
