Percussion

I have been performing and teaching for as long as I can remember. I grew up in a musical family. Both of my parents played guitar and bass guitar and played music for most of their lives. In 1985, my father Tim S. Matyas co-founded the Guitar Gallery.

I started my percussion journey in the 5th grade by playing snare drum in the school band. From there, I continued to play marching snare, marching tenor drums, and jazz drum set in high school. I studied under Val Dapra during this time at Guitar Gallery. We primarily focused on drum set, but also studied hand drumming.

I continued my studies at Westminster College where I was a music double major for 3 semesters. I studied percussion and music under P.J. Gatch III and Dr. R. Tad Greig. I learned everything I know from them in regards to music theory, keyboard, and orchestral percussion. During my time at Westminster I performed in the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Men's Choir, and as a pit percussionist for the Opera program.

Since graduating from Westminster, I have been performing and educating in the Greater Pittsburgh Area. I am a founding member of the Pittsburgh Steeline, where I play bass and boom drums. I have played pit percussion for many high school musicals. I also teach private percussion lessons, teach high school band camp, and compose and arrange.