Patrick Matthews
Lesson Feesfrom $25.00 / 30 Minutes
Promotions Available
About
Hello! My name is Patrick and I am a Music Teacher and Professional DJ In the Greater Boston area. I grew up in Nashua New Hampshire and found an affinity for music at a very young age, starting with clarinet and saxophone lessons in elementary school followed by the piano and drums in middle school and DJing in high school. I played in a variety of bands including jazz ensembles and symphonic bands from my adolescent years through college where I earned a degree in music education from the University of Maine. At the school of performing arts there I studied the saxophone through conservatory style training and performed in countless recitals and concerts all over New England including Symphony Hall in Boston.
Upon graduating in 2010 I started teaching K-5 music in Title 1 public schools around southern New Hampshire. I was also a saxophone instructor for the Salem High School band program, the director of the Amherst Town Band and I wrote band arrangements for my alma mater along with various high school programs in northern New England. In 2015 I joined a DJ company and started doing large weddings and corporate events on weekends. I left the public schools in 2019 to teach privately and focus more on my DJ business of which I now do over 50 events a year.
Needless to say I am passionate about all things music and I love teaching and performing in many facets! I’m well versed in many different styles of music and am always exploring and learning both for myself and for others. Feel free to message me if you would like to know more and discuss what you would like to learn and see if I’m the right fit for you!
Patrick
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My teaching philosophy is predicated on the notion that although people want to learn music for a variety of reasons they all share the same desire to be creative and express themselves in their own way in the performing arts. And as an educator who specializes in this I see my role as not only a teacher and facilitator for assisting people with what they want to learn but also as a mentor. I want my students to learn how to teach themselves so if and when they decide to no longer take lessons they have the tools to continue learning on their own.
With all of this in mind my teaching style is adaptive to the student and their learning style. I feel like part of my responsibility as an instructor is learning how my students learn so I can teach them effectively and in a way that works best for them. And it’s equally important for me to learn my students’ musical preferences, what their personal goals and aspirations are and anything else that helps inform me in what to teach them because they want and need to be working towards the exact things they want to learn to get the most enjoyment out of their own musical journey. It’s all about getting feedback from the student and personalizing the student’s learning experience so they can thrive and flourish on their instrument!
Graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maine in Music Education
Been Arranging and Transcribing Music for both High Schools and Universities for 14 years
Taught K-5 Music in Title 1 Public Schools for 8 years
DJing for Get Down Tonight Entertainment for 8 years
Instructed Saxophone at Salem High School in NH for 6 years
Directed the Amherst Town Band for 5 years
Teaching Private Lessons for 5 years
Recording and Producing Electronic Music for 3 years
My teaching methodology has evolved over the years as I’ve gained experience and training but it is also situational. In the public schools when I was teaching K-5 general music I took the Orff approach and additionally was a member of NEAOSA for years where I received additional professional development and training (New England Chapter for the American Orff-Schulwerk Association). Based on the curriculum, the instruments and materials at my disposal and also teaching in a classroom environment with many students it was very sensible and effective.
All that being said I have always used a variety of methods (Dalcroze, Kodály, etc) but since my transition to teaching privately I have been utilizing the Suzuki method primarily and the main reason is that it’s designed with one on one instruction in mind. Repetition of scales and mechanics through the context of music, modeling, listening to examples of musicality through performances, learning by rote at the beginning stages and introducing music reading incrementally, using graded repertoire and so on. And as for the materials used it varies from student to student and it is after an initial assessment of what they do and don’t know and what they want to learn specifically that I make my recommendations. I will even write transcriptions and arrangements for students to cater to their strengths while challenging them to learn what we’re focusing on. Whatever needs to be done for the benefit of the student. : )