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About Me
When
I was four years old, I wanted to be Perry Como.... that's
right, Perry Como of "Catch a Falling Star" and "Papa Loves Mambo"
fame. Perry
was still a pretty big star at the time, and his weekly television show
made the whole thing look pretty glamorous. I fell hopelessly
in love with music back then, and it has been a long lasting affair.
My dad has always had guitars and tape recorders around the house, and
he
was
never too busy to take the time to show me a few tricks on both
contraptions. It always seemed natural to want to listen to an
Eric Clapton record, pick out the guitar licks, and put down my
own version of the song on tape. Our basement was a constant
venue for band practice and recording sessions throughout my school
years.
After high school I spent two years touring with a
road band before completing my Bachelor of Music degree in Classical
Guitar Performance and Theory/Composition at Boise State
University. I was an adjunct faculty member at BSU for
several years after graduation.
My plans of completing a master's
degree and teaching college were interrupted when I took a left turn
and hooked up with Northwest legend and Americana Music pioneer Pinto
Bennett and his band, The Famous Motel Cowboys. For the next
ten years, I toured with the Motel Cowboys and operated my own
studio, Horizon Audio Recording in Boise.
When our two daughters, Lindsey and Molly were born, my wife and I
decided to move to
Nashville and
carve out a career. It was the early nineties and the likes of
Steve Earle, Dwight Yokum, Roseanne Cash and others had broken things
wide open in Country Music.
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A Brief Summary of My Musical Career
| Year |
Activity |
| 1967 |
First
public performance with a band-"Louie Louie" at the sixth grade
talent
show. Played in various bands throughout junior high and high
school.. |
| 1975-1977 |
Toured
the western U.S. with a top - forty band playing 6 nights a week, 48
weeks a year. |
| 1977-1981 |
Achieved
a Bachelor of Music degree from Boise
State University in Classical Guitar Performance and Theory/Composition |
| 1980-1991 |
Guitarist with Pinto Bennett and The Famous
Motel Cowboys |
| 1984-1992 |
Owner/Operator
of Horizon Audio Recording in
Boise, Idaho |
| 1992-
Present |
Staff
engineer/producer at County Q Productions
in Nashville, Tennessee |
While
I waited on tables (like
everyone does when they move here), I picked up free-lance work as an
engineer, and learned from the incredible music professionals who are
everywhere in Nashville. I was eventually introduced to Paul
Scholten and Scott Merry at County Q Studios, who took a chance and
hired me for some tracking and overdub sessions. That was 1994, and I
have since tracked,
overdubbed, mixed or produced thousands of great songs - both demos and
album projects.
My time in Nashville has given me an invaluable education in all
aspects of the record making process. Working closely with some of the
finest musicians, singers, songwriters, engineers and producers in the
world has taught me the value of commitment to excellence, integrity
and vision. These are the traits I hope to bring to the table if I'm
fortunate enough to be part of your recording project.
Thanks for reading,
Rob
Matson
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