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I am the violinist, harmonica player, a lead and harmony singer, and leader of the band. I also serve as the agent for the band. Music has always been part of my life, but I never dreamed I would be a full time professional musician for a living, especially when I first picked up the violin in 4th grade. In fact the only reason I started playing the violin was because I was given a test in by the music teacher, and I was found to be "musically proficient." I was asked what instrument I wanted to play, so I asked my parents what they thought. Both my parents suggested the violin, so without really thinking any more about the matter, I told my teachers I wanted to play violin.
You may expect me to say I was a prodigy and I excelled at the instrument immediately. Nope. I was bad, and not in the good sense or the Michael Jackson sense of "bad". I give my parents credit for putting up with the hours of screeching that made nails scraping across a chalkboard sound like a trip to the symphony compared to my playing. I have to give credit to my first teachers, Mrs. Marty Barker-Ligon and Mrs. Terry Jares for encouraging me, as they sat through hours of torture. I sounded pretty awful for about four years until I reached the eighth grade and something just clicked. I actually started to sound like a competent violinist. By my sophmore year in 1994, I was the principle or leader of the 2nd violin section in the Symphony Orchestra at York High School in Elmhurst, IL. This was a very big deal to me at the time, as our school was considered to be one of the top three high school orchestras in the nation. We were led by our teacher and outstanding conductor Susan Starrett, as she taught me the meaning of hard work as well as important technical aspects of performing. Although I become an excellent classical performer and began performing in professional string quartets for weddings, I knew by my senior year that I wanted to perform more styles in addition to classical music. I began to listen to and develop a love for blues, rock, and rock & roll. I picked up the harmonica, started singing, and formed my own band. It became crystal clear to me that I was a guitar player disguised as a violinist. I began to learn and transpose solos from Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Stevie Ray Vaughan, just to name a few. I also took music theory with Curt Merrill, so music started making sense on a different level by the time I graduated high school. I received a scholarship to attend Illinois State University and I studied under Dr. Sarah Gentry, as she was a fantastic teacher and really helped me with my technical ability on the violin. I started taking independent studies classes in blues & Celtic music, and joined several bands that toured locally and throughout the Midwest. I learned to perform many styles on the violin, sing, and play the harmonica at a high professional level. I graduated from Illinois State University in summer of 2001. After graduating, I moved back to Chicago. I knew it would take some time to find musicians with my same musical vision. I searched for a long time, but it eventually happened.... On a Saturday night in October of 2001, I was with my friends at a local pub in Elmhurst called McNally's. A band was playing some recognizable tunes, and I told my friends that I would easily be able to sit in and perform with the band on my violin. My friends challenged me and said there was no way I could perform rock music etc. on the violin. Always up for a challenge, I approached the band and asked if I could sit in. The band said yes and to my friends' amazement, I seamlessly and flawlessly played three songs with them, two of which I had never played before. The band and the audience was exceptionally impressed and the band invited me to perform with them again. From this point on, I performed with this band every week for the next year and a half for weddings, corporate events, night clubs, and private parties. I eventually branched out and performed with a few more bands, and I payed close attention to what all these groups did well and professionally, in addition to certain aspects that left much to be desired. Finally, I decided to form my own group, as I knew I could effectively lead a band with the valuable experience I accrued. I selected musicians who are passionate about music, capable of performing a vast variety of styles, and share a common musical vision. In addition, I selected musicians who have performed with national and world touring artists and are considered the best in the business. We, the Matt Stedman Band, are a small family of musicians and we pride ourselves on being personable and performing to enhance the lives of our audiences and clients alike. We have performed thousands of weddings, festivals, corporate events, night clubs, and special events. I encourage you to come see us perform, as I promise, you won't be disappointed! PLEASE VIEW OUR CLIENT TESTIMONIALS! |
