Rockaway Music Lessons

aving been reared in one of the richest and most diverse musical scenes in the country, NYC. This enables Matt to teach and perform in a broad range from the traditional classical guitar/piano to experimental.
As an educator, Matt is different from other teachers in his ability to inspire and motivate. Learning to play and master an instrument is challenging and can be a very frustrating experience. Matthew has techniques proven student after student to be successful in overcoming learning obstacles so that the student is able to meet his/her individualized goals. Matthew also has experience teaching individuals with disabilities ranging from Autism to Cancer patients. This ability has helped Matthew become a teacher with over 15 years experience.

*** Lesson Details ***
Lessons are provided in a private studio in Astoria, NY or your home. Once, a location is established I work with each student to identify his or her goals and objectives both musically and personally. Students are assessed to determine where their individual ability is at the time of assessment. From there, I work in partnership with the student as we begin mastering the guitar or the piano in a fun and supportive environment. Whether you are interested in learning to play the blues, classical or jazz guitar or any other genre or just learning how to play songs on the piano, I can help. If you are a beginner, don't worry it won't all be scales. In fact I guarantee you will be playing a song within your first lesson. If you are an advanced or intermediate student, I can help you master your skills. We (you and I) will revisit proper right and left hand techniques; utilize exercises to improve your speed and accuracy. You will learn new methods to strengthen your improvisation abilities. In short, you and I will make sure to build on your strengths and undo any bad habits that are hindering your ability to grow as a guitarist or pianist.

*** Specialties ***
music, Guitar and Piano
I begin with meeting the student where they are in relation to their musical experience. After establishing trust, through encouragement I empower students to recognize their potential with out pre-determined expectations or limits. I am comfortable in various genres from classical to punk.

your family to achieve your music education goals!

te. The Post also celebrated him in Opera Theater of Northern Virginia’s The Barber of Seville as a “bright and bouncy” Figaro who delivered his lines with “aplomb.” He was a young artist in the studio programs of Portland Opera, Kentucky Opera, and El Paso Opera.

Dr. Collins has sung the roles of Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Sid in Albert Herring, Figaro in The Marriage of Figaro and in The Barber of Seville, Papageno in Die Zauberflӧte, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Jupiter in Orphée aux enfers, Dr. Falke in Die Fledermaus, Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Schaunard in La Bohème, Clayton McAllister in Cold Sassy Tree, the Clock in L’Enfant et les Sortilèges, the Mandarin in Turandot, and Haushofmeister in the world premiere of Dorian Gray. Dr. Collins has had the pleasure of singing in the choruses of the Metropolitan Opera, Washington National Opera, and Fort Worth Opera. He has performed roles with the American Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Kentucky Opera, El Paso Opera, Summer Opera Theater, Bel Cantanti Opera, Amarillo Opera, Crested Butte Opera, Portland Opera To Go, Opera Southwest, Opera Theater of Northern Virginia, Concert Royal, Ash Lawn Opera, Bay View Music Festival, and Seagle Music Colony.

Dr. Collins is currently on the voice faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and maintains a private voice studio at the National Opera Center in New York City where he teaches singers of all skill levels including those who perform on Broadway and at the Metropolitan Opera. He has a passion for vocal instruction and is dedicated to the success of each individual student. Dr. Collins keeps an active record of each student’s progress, vocal exercises, repertoire, performances, and personal goals. He is a member of the College Music Society, the American Guild of Musical Artists, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Opera America.

professional as well.

Some of the musical styles I regularly teach: Rock, Blues, Jazz, Funk, Soul, R&B, Classical.

Also online lessons is also available upon request by student.

***Lesson Details***

My students will gain the following from consistent lessons

Bass Guitar:

Techniques -

Slapping, Popping, Playing with Fingers vs Playing with a Pick
Improvisation
Creating interesting bass lines
Learning songs in order to have a good foundation for future development.

I tend to focus on learning songs instead of learning "boring" exercises.
You get more benefit from learning songs and working on a difficult groove or phrase rather than spending a lot of time playing non musical exercises.

***Equipment***

I have 5 Bass Guitars, 1 Electric Guitar, 3 Keyboards (NORD, KRONOS, MIDI CONTROLLER)

I have recording devices which can be used to record the lesson and get it in your email after our meeting, so you can go home and really listen to my comments again and learn more!

Hope to hear from you and start learning some good music!

ontemporary artists.

s Jazz Festival at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Lauren is an avid performer in the New York jazz scene and appears at venues such as the legendary 55 Bar, where she enjoys a monthly residency. She has performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Cosmopolitan Club, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, Zinc Bar, Club Bonafide, Swing 46 as well as other venues in the city. Lauren enjoys sharing her love of music with her students and has taught both privately and in New York City schools, including the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Program. In addition to playing bass and singing, Lauren also plays piano, clarinet, electric guitar, electric bass and acoustic guitar.

ion involving violinists from 35 countries. I am the 2017-2019 Composer in Residence for the Eureka Ensemble in Boston.

A two-time winner of the Chicago College of Performing Arts Vector Project, my orchestral music has been performed by the Boston Modern Orchestra Project, the Eureka Ensemble, the JVL Festival Orchestra in Ontario, the Cremona Academy Festival Orchestra in Italy, the Chicago College of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra, the Grammy-winning Pioneer Symphony Orchestra in Ann Arbor, and the New England Conservatory Orchestra in Boston. My string orchestra works are published by TRN Music and my chamber and orchestral music is published by Femoire. I am a graduate of Roosevelt University in Chicago and the New England Conservatory in Boston. 

I am a frequent lecturer at universities and high schools, often speaking on the subjects of creativity, entrepreneurship, and how to create a career after music school. An advocate of the innate creativity in young people, I have brought composition and theory programs to schools and music festivals in three countries. I have helped my students get into music composition programs at great universities and conservatories, and I maintain a studio of international composition and theory students. When not composing, I secretly enjoys screaming trumpet music, openly enjoy John William Waterhouse paintings, and will never pass up an iced coffee.