{Up To Now

Hailing from Germantown, MD, Matt Rodela is a singer/songwriter who takes the relaxing sounds of unplugged rock and adds a unique jazzy element using his talents as a trumpet player.  Blending original tunes with well known covers, Matt can be seen playing on Maryland’s Coffee House circuit, or where ever music lovers gather.

The Story so far…

Matt was born in Davis, California on September 7th, 1980.  Even in his formative years, music was a big presence in his life. Matt started taking piano and trumpet lessons in elementary school. These lessons ignited the fire of the musical passion that would continue on throughout his life.  The formal lessons would stop by the time he was a teenager, but Matt never lost the desire to play. Throughout junior high and high school, this love affair with music was focused primarily on the trumpet. During this time, Matt played with several honor bands at the county, state, and regional levels.  At the age of 19, he enlisted in the Army as a full-time trumpet player.

Matt’s military experience continues to have a positive impact on his musical talents. Not only has it boosted his confidence as a performer, but it has broadened his horizons by exposing him to a wide range of musical styles and cultures. A good example of this can be found in 2003 when Matt spent a year stationed in South Korea. There he had the chance to pick-up the guitar and hone his skills by playing rythm guitar with three diverse bands, each concentrating on a different genre of music: an acoustic trio called SAGWA, a country rock band called Pheonix, and a funk, rock, and blues band called Night Shift. Back in the states, Matt finished his enlistment in the Army, but continued to serve his country part time in the 229th National Guard Band.  In 2006 he had a brief stint playing trumpet with a DC area ska band called No Clue.  Matt continues to look for collaborative opportunities whenever he can, but has recently been concentrating on making his own brand of music.

His talents as an entertainer have come full circle. Matt’s original songs Halfway There and Live It Up have been featured on two compilation CD’s called Chill Out: East Coast Edition and Rock 4 Life; both released by Quickstar Productions. He has also been distributing a five-song demo and hopes to put out a full length album later in 2009.  His live shows are not to be missed! You may find Matt playing three instruments at once using some fancy electronic wizardry, or he may be joined by other talented musicians on instruments such as flute, cello, sax, or percussion.

Matt’s Influences:

Mainstream - I like music that’s mellow, has thoughtful lyrics, and isn’t too depressing. Throwing in a little funk and jazz influence doesn’t hurt either!

* DMB * Incubus * Hoobastank * Nickel Creek * Jamie Cullum * Jack Johnson * John Mayer * Jason Mraz * Maroon5 * REM * Stevie Wonder*

Local Music - There are a lot of great unsigned bands and musicians in the Baltimore/DC corridor. I look to them for inspiration and advice.

* Written Prisms (RIP) * ilyamy * Old Man Brown * Bob Sima *Corrin Campbell*

Jazz - So smooth, effortless, and complex, I’ve liked jazz ever since I was a kid. I especially like combo jazz from the bebop era of the 50’s and 60’s.

* Miles Davis * John Coltraine * Chet Baker * Clifford Brown * Chick Corea*

Thanks to Dava Sentz for helping me write “The Story So Far…”