About Matthew
Matthew, a versatile musician with a BFA in Music from Concordia University in Montréal, brings a unique approach to teaching that emphasizes music as a tool for creative expression. With expertise in various instruments including bass clarinet, clarinet, guitar, and percussion, Matthew's teaching philosophy focuses on connecting music to life experiences and fostering emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development in students of all ages. Whether online or in-person, Matthew is committed to sharing his love of music and helping students unleash their creativity.
BOOK AN INTERVIEW WITH MATTHEW NOW
I believe that every person should have at least one creative outlet for their emotions; to be able to express without words their feelings, ideas, and other unfathomable things. For me, music has been a primary outlet and it has helped me celebrate the good, and make sense of the bad. As a multidisciplinary artist, my approach to music involves connections to life and a philosophy that holds music as a tool for creative expression first, with the technique and finesse arriving as justifications for practice, in order to further develop and refine creative expression. As a teacher, I know that music is a powerful tool for emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development. It is the most powerful tool to engage a learner's brain. The connections made go beyond that of multilingual learning. And for that I am eager to share the love of music to learners young and old.
Name: Matthew (Full name will be provided upon registration)
Age: 30's
Gender: male
Formally, starting in 2016, I studied music for two years at Grande Prairie Regional College and finished a BFA in Music, with distinction from Concordia University in Montréal, QC in 2021. I am currently completing a Bachelor of Education with UofA, that will be completed by April 2023.
I was awarded distinction for my academic achievement while pursuing a BFA from Concordia University in Montréal.
I picked up my first electric bass guitar at age 13 and played in weird surf-punk bands for about seven years. Since leaving the band, I developed an interest in electronic music. My study of it is ongoing and started around 2010 while experimenting with Reason 4 on my parent's computer. Since then, I have been accumulating tools and resources while composing and learning online through a variety of teachers. I currently use Ableton 10 as my primary tool for music software. Most recently, I've developed an interest in analog synthesis and electronic music production without a computer. After about seven years of self-study I have developed a comfortable proficiency in hardware music production. Here and there, I play house concerts with friends and the odd festival throughout Alberta.
English
Rates and Studio Policies
Registration Fee: $25.00 (One-time lifetime registration fee may be used by all family members)
Rates for instruction:
30 minute private lesson: $39.00
45 minute private lesson: $49.00
60 minute private lesson: $59.00
Travel charge: additional $15.00 per visit (for lessons in a client's home as opposed to my studio)
1. Cancellation Policy
Lessons not cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice are billable to the client and payable to the teacher. This does not of course apply to travel fees unless the notice is effectively given at the door and the teacher has travelled to the location.
2. Cessation (quitting) Policy
A client must provide a 2 lesson notice period to stop lessons. So a weekly student needs to give 2 weeks of notice, a biweekly student works out to 3 weeks notice and a twice weekly student works out to a week of notice.
3. Illness Policy
Lessons cancelled due to illness or extraordinary circumstances with less than 24 hours notice remain billable to the client and payable to the teacher.
BAH teachers are encouraged to offer a make-up lesson at a future date in the interest of client relations and general goodwill. This only makes sense as teaching a student with the flu for example, will ruin the rest of your week's employment.
No more than 2 lessons may be made up due to illness within a 60 day period.
4. Rescheduling Policy
Any lesson can be cancelled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice.
Summer Vacation and Extended Absence Policy
Clients may schedule longer absences for trips etc. 24 hours notice is required.
It is normal and typical for students and about 20% of our teachers to schedule a break in the summer. We do not enforce a notice period (see cessation of lessons) at the end of a long summer break.
5. Evaluation Period
There are no free trial lessons with Beethoven at Home but we do offer a 2 lesson evaluation period where it is easy to try out a teacher. There are no free lessons during the evaluation period and clients may choose to discontinue the lessons at any time by providing the required 24 hours notice. After the student's 3rd lesson the required 2 lesson notice period will apply (see cessation of lessons above).
Lessons in your home
Matthew is available to teach in your home if you are located in the following areas
Online lessons
Matthew can provide online instruction. While other platforms are possible BAH strongly recommends the use of the Zoom video conferencing platform as it is optimized for music lessons and audio quality.