Matthew’s teaching background begins with teaching local
tennis lessons, and swimming lessons in high school and college.
He continued
his education training by receiving a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from
The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam with a concentration in Piano
Pedagogy. After graduation he was invited to return to teach at Crane as a
full-time adjunct instructor teaching class piano to non-piano music majors.
While teaching at Potsdam he was accepted to
Western Michigan University where he received his Master's of Music in Piano Performance. During his time he at Western he was awarded a full time
graduate teaching assistantship. While at Western, his duties
included administering piano placement exams to all freshmen and transfer
students, teaching approximately 6 levels of piano classes, and also private
lessons to non-music majors. During this time he helped create a new classroom
text for Mus 221. In 2003 he was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Assistant
Award in Teaching.
While going to graduate school he started teaching piano
labs for the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. He taught with the
Gilmore for 4 years, the last two years he was the sole teacher at Spring
Valley Elementary School where he taught over 75 students in grades 2-5 as well
as after school practice programs. Also, while at the Gilmore he created, designed and implemented 3 years of curriculum for the piano lab programs, as
well as instituted a school wide Honors Recital for students who had
demonstrated exceptional achievement.
All throughout his time at Potsdam, NY and Kalamazoo, MI he
maintained a private piano studio. His piano students received several local
awards and also two of his students were accepted into 4 year universities as
piano majors.
For the past 6 years Matthew has been traveling the world as
a cruise ship musician. During this time he has been constantly training
musicians and singers. His ability to manage and train musicians
has earned him the honor of being asked to be on the US Inaugural cruise of the
Nieuw Amsterdam, and also be involved with introducing two new entertainment
formats for Holland America Line.
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