Dear Matt,

Throughout my four-plus years as an undergraduate at Brown, you were my favorite faculty member. Your graciousness, sense of humor and passion have made you not only an intuitive and beloved band director but also a mentor and ally. Regardless of how mediocre my playing remained during my tenure as a Brown Band member, you treated me with respect and encouragement. I also very much enjoyed your class on the history of jazz styles.

After two decades’ hiatus, I took up my trombone again recently to play in a teacher band at the middle school where I teach French, incorporating many styles of Francophone music (and one style of impromptu singing) into my curriculum. It felt wonderful to make music in a group again!

You have always inspired my band friends and me with high standards of musicianship balanced with a relaxed enjoyment of playing together. Every year at Commencement time, I remember your thoughtful explanation of how the complex elements of the Commencement March intertwine lyrically. This brief lesson offered at a band rehearsal changed the way I listen to music, and from the band’s lovingly rendered performance in this year’s video, I can see that it has redounded many hundredfold over the decades. Thank you, Matt, for encouraging me to be a lifelong musician and music lover. I wish you a long and joy-filled retirement.

Ever true,
Jennifer Reid ’91
Trombonist, Brown Band