MATTOMUSIC - About Us

MATTOMUSIC is a Music Education Centre and Recording Studio, owned and operated by full-time Musician, Instructor and Producer Matt O’Rourke. Located 1561 Durham Regional Hwy 2, Courtice, at the Prestonvale Rd. intersection. We attract students from Courtice, Bowmanville, Whitby, Brooklin, Oshawa and Port Perry. MATTOMUSIC has built a reputation amongst its clients for having a safe, professional and encouraging environment for students. MATTOMUSIC has been successfully operating since 2014. Please Contact Us for more information. We offer a FREE Trial Lesson so you can see our facilities and our teaching style.

ABOUT MATT O’ROURKE

Credentials:

Master Business Licence
Associate Degree in Music from Musicians Institute, Hollywood CA
Performing Arts Certificate from O’Neill C.V.I.
15 Years Teaching Experience – Private & Group Instruction
Professional Touring and Recording Experience
Boots & Hearts Emerging 2018 Showcase Winner with Kris Barclay
Southern Ontario Band Festival - Don Strathdee Memorial Honour Award
Anne and Elmer Eadie Award - O’Neill C.V.I.
Professional Producing Experience

Matt and Nick

As kids, Matt and his brother Nick would bang on empty garbage pales with paint sticks and use tennis rackets as fake guitars, rocking out to songs their Dad would play on the family stereo. It wasn’t long before Matt got his first Drum set and the rest is history.

Matt's First Kit

Matt’s love for performing started in his parent’s basement, where his cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents would gather to watch cousin performance nights. It was at this early age that Matt saw the effect Music had on people. A deep knowledge and high-level competency on multiple instruments, combined with an ability to relate well with kids and young people is what makes students respond so positively with Matt.

EDUCATION:

Musician's Institute

Matt’s Music Education started with private drum lessons from some of the best local drummers in the GTA. He auditioned and was accepted into the Performing Arts program at O’Neill C.V.I., a renowned school for the Arts in Durham. Matt played percussion in the school orchestra and by grade 10 had secured the position as drummer for the school’s Senior Jazz Ensemble earning a player award from the Southern Ontario Jazz festival and another exceptional player award upon graduation. After graduating and receiving his certificate of Performing Arts he became the youngest instructor at Long & McQuade Oshawa where he got his first professional teaching experience. Matt decided to continue his Education two years later in the United States. Matt had the choice of the Drummers Collective in New York City or the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles. Matt chose sunny California and Hollywood to attend the Musicians Institute where he graduated with an exceptionally high GPA and received an Associate Degree in Music.

With Steve Smith

During this time, Matt studied with Kamelot drummer Casey Grillo in Tampa Bay and later with Kenny Aronoff (John Cougar Mellencamp) in Los Angeles. Previously, Matt also took master classes with drummers such as Tony Royster Jr. (Jay Z), Steve Smith (Journey), Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) and Horacio Hernandez (Santana).

EXPERIENCE:

Shortly after finishing at Musicians Institute in 2010, Matt had the opportunity to record at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, Texas. One of the world’s largest residential studios. Here, Matt became friends and worked closely with British Producer Stephen Short who had worked in the U.K. with bands such as Genesis, Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel and Queen. Matt got his first professional Recording experience in this famous studio and his first look into the life of Producing.

Matt gigged and toured through the U.S. with American bands such as Blacklite District from South Dakota and Robert Fortune Band from New Orleans where Matt lived and rehearsed for over a year, playing big gigs and festivals opening for bands like Foxy Shazam, My Darkest Days and Vanilla Ice. After being abroad for nearly three years, Matt came home to Canada and then immediately hit the road again with Canadian Alternative Rock band The Rabid Whole. The band toured through Canada and the U.S. opening for Italian Industrial rockers, Dope Stars Inc on their first U.S. tour. The band then toured again the following year promoting their new album “Problems”.

CURRENT:

Boots and Hearts

Aside from pursuing MATTOMUSIC business endeavours, Matt is actively gigging throughout the year drumming for aboriginal Canadian Artist Shawnee and Canadian Country Artist Kris Barclay, who recently with Matt, won the 2018 Boots and Hearts Emerging Artist of the Year Award and is preparing for a major release with Warner Music Canada along with tour dates coming in 2019.

Shawnee, Yonge-Dundas Sq

Matt is also Producing and Recording releases with Shawnee such as “Closer to Home” which will be featured in an Aboriginal artist Documentary series coming to the APTN network in 2019. Matt continues to develop students and other local Artists on a regular basis.