Matthew Halligan is originally from Frankfort, Kentucky and currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia.  He graduated from University of the Cumberlands with a Bachelors of Music Education in 2004 where he studied with James Corcoran. Matt graduated with a Masters of Music from Eastern Kentucky University in 2009 where he studied with Jason Koontz.  In 2016, he graduated with a Doctorate in Percussion Performance (D.M.A.) from George Mason University where he studied with John Kilkenny, John Spirtas, and Joe McCarthy.

 

Matt has been teaching Class Percussion and Applied Percussion lessons at George Mason University since 2013. From 2008-2011, he was the Director of Marching Percussion for the University of Maryland Marching Band.  He instructed the U.M.D. drumline and arranged all of the drumline’s show music.  Matt was the Graduate Assistant for the Eastern Kentucky University Drumline in 2004.  He was the Percussion Caption Head for the Racine Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps in 2005. 

 

As a performer Matt served in “The Commandant’s Own” Marine Drum and Bugle Corps for six years.  While serving in the Marine Corps, Matt enjoyed performing as a mallet percussionist, serving as the mallet section leader, as well as arranging music for the drumline. He marched with Southwind Drum & Bugle Corps in 2002 as member of the pit. He also marched with Eklipse Indoor Drumline in 2003 in the snare line. Additionally, Matt has performed with the National Concert Band of America, the American Festival Pops Orchestra (as the Percussion Section Leader), the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, and the Capital Wind Symphony in the Washington DC area.