Matt McGrath
Music Director, Pianist, Conductor
Matthew McGrath - Music Director, Pianist, Conductor
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PROFILE
More than 10 years experience playing and music directing theatrical productions at a wide variety of levels. Berklee graduate majoring in Professional Music with a focus on conducting, arranging, and orchestration for musical theatre. Cruise industry experience as a conductor/vocal captain, show band member, and solo performer.
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EXPERIENCE
Conductor and Vocal Captain, Royal Caribbean Productions: 2019 - Present
Leading a 9-piece band for performances of Grease onboard Independence of the Seas. Training each incoming musician and cast member. Maintaining vocal standards for all musical productions, and providing weekly music reports to the corporate office. Performing in the piano bar and dining room
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Freelance Collaborative Pianist/Music Director: 2010 - Present Worked on more than 50 productions with professional, regional, college, high school, community, and youth companies including: Palace Theatre NH, Turtle Lane Playhouse, Stoneham Theatre's Young Company, MIT's Musical Theatre Guild, Brockton High School, Framingham State University, and Berklee College of Music. See Show History for full show list.
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Music Director and Accompanist, Aloha Hive Summer Camp: 2015 - Present
Music direct an annual junior level musical including planning, auditioning, coaching, rehearsing, orchestrating musicians with fifty campers aged eight through thirteen. Accompany soloists and all camp groups, including sight reading across a range of styles including popular, semi-classical, show tunes, and folk songs. Leads performing arts activities including music and voice lessons. Accompany all-camp singing daily.
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Choir Accompanist, Hanover and Lebanon, NH School Districts: 2018 - 2021
Accompanied high school and middle school choir classes daily, ran sectional rehearsals, assisted with vocal arrangements, and created rehearsal tracks for student use. Performed in all student concerts.
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Show Band and Rock Band Musician, Carnival Cruise Line: 2008, 2016 - 2018
Performed four-hour nightly sets of a wide range of popular and dance music. Transcribed horn and string parts for over 125 songs. Performed memorized and in costume onstage for the "America Rocks" production show on Carnival Dream and Carnival Liberty.
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EDUCATION
Bachelor of Music, Professional Music 2015
Berklee College of Music - Boston MA
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Focused on musical theatre conducting, arranging, and orchestration. Studied piano with: Ray Santisi, Bob Winter, and Steve Heck. Studied musical theatre with: Eric Stern,
Jeri Sykes, Rene Pfister.
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SKILLS
Excellent at sight reading and accompanying singers and instrumentalists. Enthusiastic collaborator on all nature of musical projects. Intermediate keyboard programming in Apple Mainstage. Intermediate music notation copying Finale and Musescore notation software, and Apple Logic Digital Audio Workstation.
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ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTS
Intermediate proficiency on banjo, guitar, and ukulele.
Beginner proficiency on accordion, bass guitar, harmonica, and tuba.