Matt MacFarland - Drums
Matt McFarland began playing drums at the age of 18. He felt that studying with great teachers would make up for any lost time. His extensive musical background in Piano and French Horn aided him in the theoretical study of the drums and teachers like JEFF SALEM, ROBIN BOERS and ARTHUR HULL more than helped in the study of the practical side.By his Nineteenth birthday he was playing the Toronto circuit with local bands and beginning to develop a desire to teach. At the age of 23 he was teaching under Jeff Salem and helping to write what would later become the TIPS curriculum, an educational system focusing on creating a step-by-step process for learning percussion.
In the Winter of 2003 Matt and Jeff formed TIPS (Total Integrated Percussion Studies) and began to realize their vision. The student response has been extremely positive. Apart from teaching drum set using their own curriculum, Jeff and Matt conduct drum clinics all over the Greater Toronto Area. A recent introduction to the percussion arena has been DRUM CIRCLES � where Matt conducts and facilitates rhythm based events for children in classrooms and adults at the corporate level. This has been an overwhelming success.
On the other end of the spectrum, Matt has been working with a jazz quintet called the JB5. Focused on putting a new twist on the standards, this group is truly entertaining to watch. All the while, Matt maintains a busy schedule teaching and taking lessons himself at the Ontario College of Percussion. A recent development in Matt�s teaching career has been his addition to Vic Firth�s roster for the PDT (Private Drum Teacher) program. This program focuses on creating universal teaching methods and educational material fuelled by the educators on the roster.
Driven by a desire to learn, teach and play, Matt McFarland remains a dynamic individual in the Toronto percussion community.