Matt is passionate about the power of the arts. Whether it’s playing, writing, or teaching, he enjoys artistic expression in all forms.
Matt is a native of Louisville, KY, who has worked with Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award winners around the country. Besides teaching, he is also an award-winning composer, an international music entrepreneur, and an award-winning bestselling author. He has worked in professional theatre, international television, award-winning films, NYC celebrity events, national commercial pitches, award-winning video game prototypes, and has serviced hundreds of musical clients spanning all 50 states and over 30 countries. His favorite hobbies include playing the piano and reading. You can also catch him at Gravy Italian Restaurant downtown, his favorite food spot in Raleigh.
Education
- BA Theory and Composition, Campbellsville University
- MA Music, Campbellsville University
- MFA in Composition (Media Scoring Emphasis), Vermont College of Fine Arts
Activities & Honors
- Recent book Cool Cats and a Hot Mouse: A History of Jazz and Disney reached Amazon bestseller status and won four national writing awards
- Recipient of nearly a dozen award wins and nominations as a writer, composer, and educator
- Published numerous books, volume chapters, and journal articles with seven international publishers
- Ranked as a finalist/semi-finalist in six international competitions (including multiple Top 10 placements)
- Professional Memberships: BMI (Previously ASCAP), NFAA, NACUSA, AEA, CASA, Pi Kappa Lambda
- Recurring judge in multiple national and international music competitions
- Invited speaker and lecturer for dozens of conferences, festivals, universities, companies, and speaker series
- Worked in over 100 staged theatre productions and music concerts
- Assisted in the development of five undergraduate degrees currently taught at universities
Research & Publications
- BOOK: Gotham City Sounds: The Music of Batman Villains (Pulp Hero Press, 2021)
- BOOK: Cool Cats and a Hot Mouse: A History of Jazz and Disney (Theme Park Press, 2020)
- BOOK: Exploring the Macabre, Malevolent, and Mysterious: Multidisciplinary Perspectives (Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2020)
- CHAPTERS: Mythological Equines in Film (Vernon Press, 2022)
- CHAPTER: “A Hero Will Endure”: Essays at the Twentieth Anniversary of Gladiator (Vernon Press, 2022)
- CHAPTER: A Critical Companion to Julie Taymor (Lexington Books, 2022)
- CHAPTER: Handbook of Research on Aestheticization of Violence, Horror, and Power (IGI Global, 2020)
- CHAPTER: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Media Fandom (IGI Global, 2020)
- CHAPTER: The Psychosocial Implications of Disney Movies (MDPI, 2019)
- ARTICLE: “Scoring the Story: Dissecting Interactive Game Music and Sound Design in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture,” MUSICGUIA-CIVAE (2021)
- ARTICLE: “21st-Century Broadway Musicals and the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award: Trends and Impacts,” Arts 9(2): 58 (2020)
- ARTICLE: “Disney ‘World’: The Westernization of World Music in EPCOT’s “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth,” Social Sciences 7(80): 136 (2018)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Scoring the Story: Dissecting Interactive Game Music and Sound Design in Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture,” 2021 CIVAE International Arts Conference (Spain)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Making Game Music with Budget Restraints,” 2021 East Coast Game Conference (Raleigh, NC)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Sinister Sounds: Early 20th-Century Experimental Music Techniques in Henry Cowell’s The Banshee,” 2019 Peace International Conference (WPU)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Musical Magick: Deconstructing Music Theory in Modern Wicca Spellcrafting,” 2019 Peace International Conference (WPU)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Finding a Home for Creativity: Drama Therapy with the Homeless,” 2017 International Journal of Arts and Sciences Conference (Vienna, Austria)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Interdisciplinary Campus Tactics in Collegiate Arts,” 2017 NCCC Fine Arts Conference (Rowan-Cabarrus Community College)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Shakespeare Behind Bars: Groundbreaking Drama Therapy in Criminal Rehabilitation,” 2016 International Journal of Arts and Sciences Conference (Harvard University)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “The Color of Sound: Interdisciplinary Arts Technology,” 2014 International Arts in Society Conference (Rome, Italy)
- CONFERENCE PRESENTATION: “Creating Real Music with Mathematical Ideas,” 2010 MathFest National Conference (Lexington, KY)