Matthew Smith is a freelance multi instrumentalist and educator living in Southern California. After he first received his Bachelor's Degree in 2012 from CSU Fullerton, Matthew opted to showcase his original music through distinct outlets. One of the resulting projects, themattsmithneujazztrio, has recorded three full-length records; his other project, JUICEBOX, has recorded two. Since then, Matthew has gained a masters of music in jazz drum set from California Institute of the Arts in 2019, where he was honored to record his original compositions at Capitol Records for the 29th and 30th Annual CalArts Jazz CDs.

In 2022 Matthew expanded his career as an educator by accepting a part time faculty position as jazz and commercial drum set instructor at Saddleback College. Matthew has additional experience as a teaching artist with Americorps, where he taught middle school and high school age students music fundamentals, music business and music appreciation. Matthew has also hosted clinics at major universities including CSUF, Sonoma State University, and Sacramento State University. These clinics taught college-level music students the skills needed to be a successful artist in the musical landscape of the 21st Century including promotion, composition, and maintaining a working band (tours, client management, leading rehearsals, and developing a group image).

Matthew is fortunate to have his own handful of private students and to pass on the musical gifts he learned from many notable instructors including Joe La Barbera, Swapan Chaudhuri, Randy Gloss, Bill Cunliffe, Joey Sellars and Duncan Moore. All of which has shaped Matthew’s musical phrasing, compositions and sound.