Matthew B
Instruments: Violin, Viola, Electric Violin
Styles: Classical, Jazz
Matthew B
Instruments: Violin, Viola, Electric Violin
Styles:
Classical, Jazz
Where I Teach:
Ages Taught: 5-80
BM, University of Kansas
2008 - won the Oral Roberts University 20th Century Music Competition with Joan Tower's Platinum Spirals. 2008 - premiered works for violin and piano by the Las Angeles based composer Joshua Peterson. 2012 - worked closely with the Grammy-winning composer, Michael Colina and premiered Stairway to a Midnight Cafe. Televised performances on the Fox4 Morning Show and KCPT's Arts Upload.
In 2006, I began my orchestral career at the age of 18 with the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. I will always remember the feelings of inspiration, anxiousness, and joy when he walked into the concert hall the first time. Since then, I have enjoyed performing in many orchestras including the Kinnor Philharmonic, the Southeast Kansas Symphony, the Springfield-Drury Civic Orchestra, and the Topeka Symphony. Recently I have begun performing with SoNA, the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kansas City Baroque Consortium, and the Arkansas Symphony. I have held the concertmaster position in the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, the Resurrection Orchestra, the Philharmonia of Greater Kansas City, and assistant concertmaster of the Eutin Opera Orchestra in Germany. As a soloist, I performed with the Resurrection Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Northland Cathedral, the University of Saint Mary Symphony, Oral Roberts University Symphony, and the University of Kansas Symphony Orchestra. My solo and chamber music recital work has included Morse Concert Hall at the Juilliard School, NYC’s Advent Lutheran Church, Mannes School of Music, the Tulsa Symphony Orchestra Gala, and the Lied Center of Kansas for DukeTIP. Televised broadcasts of my performances include the Fox4 Morning Show, GEB America, and KCPT'S Arts Upload. Radio broadcasts include Ozark Public Radio KSMU, Kansas Public Radio KANU, and Tulsa Public Radio KWTU. In 2008, I won the Oral Roberts University 20th Century Music Competition with Joan Tower's Platinum Spirals. Winning that competition sparked my interest in discovering and performing New Music. Soon after, I premiered works for violin and piano by the Las Angeles based composer Joshua Peterson. In 2012, I worked closely with Grammy-winning composer, Michael Colina and premiered Stairway to a Midnight Cafe. In promoting new music, I have performed with Black House Collective to critical acclaim as well as the avant-guard performance ensemble Helerud.
I have served as an educator to schools, music organizations, and private pupils for 11 years. I have been the Director of Chamber Music at Bishop Seabury Academy, an educator at Calvary Universities Community Music School, and taught at Pittsburg State University as a guest. As an advocate of music education, I have worked with the Kansas City Kansas Community Orchestra to coach the orchestra students at Harmon High School in Kansas City, Kansas. Currently, I am giving presentations to young musicians at schools across the country. These presentations provide insight into the vast array of responsibilities of a professional musician and promote entrepreneurship and creativity.
For beginning students, children and adults, I start out with my own material that I have created over the past five years. I use it to start technique, note reading, and rhythm. Once the student completes the material, I move them to Suzuki books, etudes, and other pieces. I like to get student input when choosing music. I believe that the student will be more engaged in the lessons and practice when they are playing something that they enjoy. Learning an instrument is a lot of work so I like to make it fun!
I aim to motivate students through encouragement and enthusiasm. I believe it is important to keep lessons fun and engaging while maintaining focus on technique. During each lesson, I always find something to compliment the student on because I believe it is important that the student recognizes their improvement. I do set weekly goals for my students. They include practice time, a new technique, and memorization of music. It is very rewarding to see my students excitement when they have finally developed a new technique or learned a piece of music they have been excited about.
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