Matt Penland

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, Ceremonial Brass. Matt is on the instructional staff for The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps and George Mason University Indoor Drumline, as well as arranges music for several marching percussion groups across the country.

Displaying a comprehensive background in both classical and marching percussion, Matt has been 3rd Prizewinner at the 2014 TROMP International Percussion Competition in the Netherlands, Top Prizewinner of the Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition and a Southern California Marimba Competition Semifinalist. As a marching percussion soloist he was the 2011 DCI Individual and Ensemble Tenor Champion and the 2009 PASIC Collegiate Tenor Solo Champion.

Matt has performed and given masterclasses at the International Percussion Festival Seoul in South Korea, the Northwestern Percussion Symposium, the Nebraska PAS Day of Percussion, the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, the Texas Music Educators Association convention and others. 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. As a rudimental percussionist he was a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard, Phantom Regiment, Carolina Crown, and Crossmen Drum and Bugle 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, Remo and Dynasty USA products.