Matt Penland is a percussion performer, educator, and arranger based out of Washington, D.C. where he is a percussionist in the U.S. Air Force Band. Matt is currently a percussion arranger for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps as well as several high school groups across the country. He is an instructor and lesson teacher at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA.
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Displaying a comprehensive background in both classical and marching percussion, Matt's performance accolades include: 3rd Prizewinner of the TROMP International Percussion Competition, Top Prizewinner of the Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition, DCI Individual and Ensemble Tenor Champion and PASIC Collegiate Tenor Solo Champion. He was also included alongside Jake Harpster on the album Nightflower,
by Elliot Cole, released in 2019.
Matt has performed and given masterclasses at many universities and percussion symposiums including PASIC, and the International Percussion Festival in Seoul. He was a section percussionist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago before joining the Air Force, and was also a Music Academy of the West percussion fellow. Matt has experience as an instructor at the Santa Clara Vanguard, George Mason University Indoor Drumline, and previously arranged music for Music City Drum and Bugle Corps, the Hawthorne Caballeros and Guardians Drum Corps.
Matt earned a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music Performance degree from Northwestern University. His teachers included She-e Wu, Christopher Lamb, Vadim Karpinos, James Ross, Paul Rennick, Christopher Deane, and Mark Ford.
Matt proudly endorses Innovative Percussion, Dynasty USA and Zildjian products.