Michael LaMattina studied percussion performance at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Cleveland State University where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Music and Master of Music respectively. In addition, he attended the Music Academy of the West; he was a fellow at the Tanglewood Music Center; was a member of The Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps; and studied with such notable percussionists as: Michael Rosen, Tom Freer, Mark Yancich and Mitchell Peters.
Currently, he is the Principal Percussionist of The Dayton Philharmonic and the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, as well as Director of Percussion Studies at Miami University, Ohio. Previously, Mr. LaMattina served as Principal Percussionist with The Colorado Music Festival Orchestra; Principal Timpanist and Percussionist with the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus; Principal Percussionist with the Canton Symphony Orchestra; Section Percussionist with the Erie Philharmonic; Associate Section Percussionist with the Columbus Symphony; and as an extra or substitute percussionist with the Cincinnati and Atlanta Symphony Orchestras.
In 2014 he appeared as an orchestral snare drum clinician at the Percussive Arts Society’s International Convention (PASIC), and is an artist endorser with Pearl/Adams Percussion and Sabian Cymbals. Along with maintaining a private studio, Mr. LaMattina has composed many works for percussion and constructs sticks, mallets and percussion instruments.
When did you begin studying music?
I began studying music when I was 7 years old.
Did you always study percussion?
I have always been a percussionist, having started on drum set.
What made you choose percussion?
I decided to play percussion since my father is a drummer too.
Who were your primary teachers?
My primary teachers have been John LaMattina (my dad), Michael Rosen (Oberlin Conservatory) and Tom Freer (Cleveland Orchestra).
When did you decide to pursue a career in music?
I fully committed to a career in music when I was 17, after attending the Tanglewood Music Center Institute (in Lenox, MA) during the summer of 1994.
Did you have a specific goal: teach, compose, etc.?
My goal was to play in a professional orchestra and to pursue additional activities such as soloing and recitals, perhaps even teaching at the university level.
Do you focus on a specific area of percussion, if so, did you always?
I primarily perform classical music with the orchestra or as a soloist. Additionally, I enjoy playing other types of music including: rudimental, drum set and electronica. I started just on drum set and picked up classical playing when I was about 13 years old.
Who impacted your musical growth the most?
My dad impacted me the most early on in my playing. As I got into orchestral playing, seeing the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra play concerts on a weekly basis had a great influence on me.
What teaching positions have you held?
I have always maintained a private studio at home, ranging from 12-24 students weekly. My first college teaching position was at Cedarville University where I taught for seven years. I began my current position at Miami University, as Director of Percussion Studies, in 2012.
What percussionists have inspired you the most and why?
Percussionists that have inspired me include: Buddy Rich, simply because he was so extremely talented. Bob Becker, his hands are superior and his music making is effortless. When I was younger and really focusing on marimba in high school, Leigh Howard Stevens was very influential due to his complete mastery of the marimba technique he developed, as well as his clinical approach to clearly describing his technique.
Is there a specific genre you enjoy performing the most?
I enjoy playing in an orchestra the most. I’ve become a big fan of the music of Prokofiev and also enjoy Puccini operas immensely.
What composers do you identify with and why?
I think I identify best with Francis Poulenc. His music has the ability to be happy and sad at the same time, it speaks to me in a very personal way. I made an arrangement of his “Sarabande” for guitar that was performed at my wedding.
Do you get nervous before you play – if so, how do you deal with it?
Sometimes I do get nervous before performances. It tends to happen when I’m very busy with a lot of other things going on or when I am tired. The more rested I am, the less nerves tend to get to me. The specific settings that can cause nervousness for me are really exposed xylophone parts and set ups on stage where I feel isolated from the rest of the orchestra. When I do get nervous I focus on the music even more, trying to put myself in an ideal setting mentally, such as when I’m practicing at my studio. I also try to find ways to have fun with everything I play, the more fun you are having, the less negative nerves affect your playing.
Do you ever make a mistake while performing? If so, how do you go about resolving it?
On occasion I do make a mistake here and there, everybody does. Anyone who says they never make mistakes is not being honest. The goal is to not make mistakes, of course. When mistakes happen, I make sure to move on and keep my head in the game. The more you linger on a mistake, the less you are able to focus on what you are playing at the moment. Sometimes you could make a mistake and nobody will notice, if it is noticeable, I certainly don’t feel good about it, but I also recognize that instant in time is passed and it’s over, on to the next thing.
Has your practice regimen changed from when you were a student? And how do you keep your technique fresh on all primary percussion instruments?
I do not have as much time to practice now as compared to when I was a student. I’ve found that I can continue to improve my playing as long as I’m continually learning. I’m always thinking about playing even when I’m not. The process of teaching also helps me to look at the same material differently since not every student processes information the same way. My responsibilities as a principal percussionist require me to keep all of my skills consistent on all percussion, including drum set. The same can be said for my teaching duties, so, whenever I’m not working, I’ve always got something that I am practicing.
How do you define a good musician and a good teacher? And has your definition of both changed from when you were a student to the present?
My definition of a good musician is a player that comes into rehearsal knowing their part, how to play the part correctly in the given context, regularly executing fine performances, and having the professionalism to operate in an efficient manner with regards to all aspects of doing the job of a professional musician. A good teacher is able to work with the uniqueness of each student in order to get the optimal potential that a student possesses. The knowledge that a teacher passes along to a student is absolute within the teacher’s experience. But a good teacher will recognize that there are many different ways to sound good on your instrument, and if, after the student has tried the teacher’s way of doing things, derives a more effective approach of his/her own that helps him/her to sound better, then a good teacher will not be rigid in this situation. My goal as a teacher is to help my students sound their best, whether or not it is the exact way I would play it, while keeping the non-subjective aspects of playing such as time, rhythm and accuracy in focus. When I was a student I saw mostly in black and white, as I’ve matured, I have become less strongly opinionated, more open to new ideas, and have vastly broadened my musical tastes outside of classical music. This has helped to make me a better musician and a better teacher.
Do you think that performing and teaching are intrinsically intertwined? If so, how and why?
No, I do not think that performing and teaching are are always connected. Some players are so talented that they can not figure out how to explain what comes to them naturally. Some teachers are great at conveying ideas but fall short when it comes to performing on stage. I’d say, the combination of a good player/teacher however, is more common than a good teacher/player. I consider myself a player first and a teacher after that since what I am teaching is playing; to do this the other way around does not make sense to me. I feel like you carry more legitimacy as a teacher if your are a strong player first, because your students want to see you do what you teach. If all you can do is teach, then I find a certain fraudulence in teaching someone how to play if you do not do so yourself.
Has teaching made you a better musician, if so how and why?
Teaching has made me a better player. It demands that I look at technique and musicality from many angles. It has also required me to become more well versed in other types of music, and it motivates me to keep my skills finely tuned since I feel compelled to play well for my students.
What inspired you to create your YouTube Channel and is it achieving your objective?
I created my YouTube channel to get my work and playing out to a broader audience. I enjoy creating videos and presenting the music I do as a complete work of art, which not only entails the music I play, but also the technical production of the audio and video. My brothers both work in the film industry, and I have always had a natural affinity for AV production since I made movies with them when I was growing up. I think I am definitely reaching more people with my YouTube channel in addition to my posts on Facebook.
Knowing what you know today, would you change anything about how you prepared for your career? If so, what and why?
I think I made most of the correct decisions such as: maxing out my practice time as a student, and engaging in as many performance opportunities as possible. I think having a foundation in piano (which I did not), along with drums, would have helped a lot, especially with sight-reading on mallets. I probably would also have not gone to some of the auditions I took over the years.
What words of wisdom would you share with a student who aspires to make a career as a performer and as an educator?
My advice for achieving a career in music is pretty simple, put your playing first, ALWAYS. Networking, making connections, and marketing all have their place, but none of it should ever come before how you play. Your playing is your product. Let your sticks do the talking. If you stay focused on practicing and playing above all else, you’ll be much more likely to succeed in the field of music. Also, make sure that everything you do as it relates to your playing and teaching is of quality; never settle for anything less than achieving your best effort.
If you would like to contact, Mr. LaMattina, please visit his Youtube Page at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3gz9Uk8xDupbTiOhANKK3g
