Matthew Elton Smith, a dynamic drummer and educator from sunny Southern California. His musical journey ignited at just 10 years old, dazzling crowds alongside his father's surf band, "The Jackstraws," at the San Diego County Fair with his electrifying "Wipe Out" drum solo. These early moments fueled Matthew's passion and paved the way for his musical evolution.

Driven by his love for original music, Matthew founded ventures like themattsmithneujazztrio and JUICEBOX, showcasing his own unique compositions with multiple albums under his belt. His pursuit of excellence led him to earn a Bachelor's of Music degree from Cal State Fullerton in 2012 and a Masters of Music in jazz drum set from the prestigious California Institute of the Arts in 2019. During this time, he even recorded his own compositions at Capitol Records, featured on the renowned CalArts Jazz CDs.

Expanding his horizons, Matthew now assumes the role of jazz and commercial drum set instructor at Saddleback College, sharing his musical wisdom with budding talents and imparting knowledge learned from legends such as Joe La Barbera and Swapan Chaudhuri, and Randy Gloss.

When he's not teaching or conducting clinics, you can catch Matthew performing around Southern California with groups like Phat Cat Swinger and Fresh Veggies Micro Brass, alongside his own projects. His dedication to the craft has even landed him a feature in "Ripley's Believe It Or Not: A Century of Strange," showcasing his incredible feat of participating in 70 performances in just 24 hours in 2017.

Matthew's mission every time he steps on stage? To play with passion, integrity, and truth, serving the music gracefully while having an absolute blast.

For more about Matthew, check out his website www.mattheweltonsmith.com or find him on social media as @mattheweltonsmith.