Matthew Taylor, DMA
(tl;dr biography)

Sax prof at UCA (@ucabears), educational philosopher, humorist, bon vivant, conductor, arts advocate, public speaker, hair mousse enthusiast

(scroll for more below)

Wrong Matt Taylor?

Matthew Taylor, DMA
Assistant Professor of Saxophone
University of Central Arkansas
Innovations Chair, ArkMEA

I feel so grateful that in my corner of the professional music world, I get to spend most of my time helping advanced, college-age saxophonists express themselves through music at the University of Central Arkansas. I often perform in recital and as a soloist, and have been fortunate to play in orchestras, jazz groups, and rock bands in many, many zip codes.

Like a lot of musicians, my career has been multifaceted. I have been a college professor, (UCA) a music administrator (Morehead State University), a freelance musician (all over), an inner city elementary music teacher (Miami), and a literacy advocate and educator. A lifelong academic, I have more degrees than a thermometer. I attended the Frost School of Music (DMA in Performance with cognate in Jazz Studies), The University of Maryland (MM in Performance), The Conservatoire de Bordeaux Jacques Thibaud (Contemporary Chamber Music and Saxophone), and The University of Central Arkansas (Music Education, Interdisciplinary Studies, French).

I have appeared internationally as both a soloist and chamber musician--mostly in the US and Europe. I enjoy playing all kinds of music, but I'm always looking for something new, so creating new music and collaborating with composers has been a primary focus of my work. I have premiered nearly fifty works in the past ten years. Specifically, I love new sounds, and I love musical works that expand typical notions of what music can be. Performance with live and prerecorded electronics is pretty typical these days, but I have also performed with amplified coffee pot, tuned crystal glasses, bicycle horns, and--a professional bucket list item--I even appeared with an orchestra as a typewriter soloist. 

​Jazz and commercial playing has also been a big part of my life, and lately, I have been especially involved with coaching scholastic jazz ensembles. At UCA, I get to teach courses in traditional jazz--New Orleans-style street music, and a group based on the early 1970s group "Super Sax."

When I'm not performing or working with my students at UCA, I love to work with high school students and music educators in the public schools. I frequently give clinics, masterclasses, guest recitals, and work with honor jazz bands.

For almost two decades, I have performed exclusively on H. Selmer Paris saxophones, and have been a Conn-Selmer Artist/Clinician for around 10 years. There are many excellent saxophones available these days, but I choose Selmer Paris because I think no other saxophone so beautifully expresses the full range of sounds possible on the saxophone.

​I am most grateful to have had the opportunity to make music in amazing places with some very inspiring people. All of these amazing artists offered me patience, perspective, and are among the finest musicians in the world. I am proud to call them my teachers! You can hover over their pictures below to learn more about them.

Would you like a downloadable, formal bio with lots of gratuitous name dropping? You can find that here.

"It sounds lovely. But honestly, I never dreamed anyone would actually play it that loudly."

F R A N K    T I C H E L I

"You are rushing very slightly."

M I C H A E L    T I L S O N    T H O M A S 

"Were you dropped on your head as a child?"

D A L E   U N D E R W O O D

"It was compelling and avant-garde! Of course, your technique could have been better."

L U C I A N O    M A G N A N I N I

"Your first multiphonic was the best I have ever heard anyone do it. Unfortunately, that only set me up to be disappointed by the rest of your performance."

J E A N - M I C H E L    G O U R Y

Excerpts from favorite Student Evaluations 

Woodwind Methods
"Dr. Taylor is everything a college professor should be--passionate,  honest, and you can tell he really cares about his students.

"A good teacher with fabulous hair."

"He makes assignments that are relevant to the real world and what you can expect in the classroom."

Applied Saxophone
"All I can say is you better learn your scales."

"Dr. Taylor is the best teacher I have ever had.  He is very knowledgeable about the saxophone, and wait until you hear him play."
​

My Maestros!
Click to learn more.