An old soul emerges as the fiddler plays
a sweet waltz or a lovely Western ballad.
An entertainer sparkles playing Western Swing
improvising over the chords making feet tap.
A fiddler with lightening speed and a deft bow arm
plays a driving Texas fiddle breakdown.
Fast fingers on a 5-string mandolin fill the spaces
where the notes sing sweetest.
Bio
Matthew was stubborn enough to insist he needed a violin.
After all, he was six years old and knew what he wanted.
While walking from the rides at Disneyland to the Pirate Pool, Matthew’s life changed forever. Rushing to change clothes, with little thought of anything but swimming with a pirate’s ship, he was stopped in his tracks by the music of a single violin.
All else was forgotten as he and his parents listened to a classical violinist. Within seconds of the performance ending Matthew began to ask for a violin. His parents, who did not play musical instruments, thought the six year old would forget any thought of a violin by the next morning.
For the next six weeks Matthew asked multiple times a day for a violin. Finally, his parents rented a 1/4 size violin and began lessons. His early teachers led him to Texas fiddling and contest competitions. He gamely attended his first National Old Time Fiddle Contest six months after beginning to play and competed with a broken arm. Now the trek to Weiser, Idaho for the contest is an annual event and he has placed in the top five more than a few times. He has been an Oregon Old Time Fiddle champion multiple times.
Matthew enjoys learning new styles of music and takes lessons trying to glean all he can from a variety of musicians. Though the fiddle is his favorite instrument, he enjoys playing 5-string mandolin, tenor guitar, 6-string guitar and piano. Music has become so paramount in Matthew’s life that he is home schooled so he can have time for lessons, practice and performance opportunities.
Western Swing has a great rhythm and is fun to play in a band. Western music has given Matthew a new appreciation of the lyrics telling a story from the history of settling the west. Jazz gives him freedom to improvise over the chords. Texas style fiddle is like flying while playing a breakdown. Each style of music is challenging and unique.
Who knows where life will take Matthew as he plays music and continues on his path of discovery?
