CV

Matthew Bennett

matthew.alan.bennett@gmail.com

814-314-9777

What I do

• Singer-Songwriter
• Podcast Producer
• Ghost writer
• Consulting Partner, The Magic Firm, Louisville KY
• Piano/Organ/Voice for The Matt Bennett Blues Band
• Piano/Organ/Guitar/Voice for The Patio Drive Band
• Piano/Organ/Voice for The Riff Riders
• Piano/Organ/Voice for TK Blues Company
• Studio Session Musician
• Corporate Entertainer/Magician
• Freelance writer/author

What I used to do

• Composer at iStock Music (Getty Images)
• Composer at Music Gateway
• Investigative correspondent for the Capital News (Corydon, Indiana)
• Supervisor at Dunbar Global Logistics main hub in Louisville, KY (Armored Air division)
• Researcher for the Lockheed Martin Battle Lab project at Fort Knox, KY
• Paranormal researcher and investigator
• Piano Teacher at Lynch Music in Fairview PA, and independently
• Youth Counselor at Maryhurst in Louisville KY
• Worship team music leader
• Choir director

What I’ve done

• Script Writer for national TV (CW Network), Contestants of Penn & Teller’s “Fool Us”
• Played studio Hammond organ on several songs for heavy-metal singer/songwriter Avi Rosenfeld
• Guest lecturer at Mercyhurst University in technology literacy.
• Co-composer, music producer, and music director for the ballet show based on the book The Quilt Maker’s Gift
• Writer and performer of the one man magic show, The Essence of Magic
• Began performing solo at age 6
• Wrote my first software on Apple Basic at age 16
• Began teaching piano at age 19
• Began designing websites at age 21 (1994)
• Wrote and recorded the Christian music album Road to Damascus,1998
• Wrote and recorded for the Coyote Joe country album The World of Coyote Joe, 1998
• Wrote and recorded the song Bullseye, on the magic DVD Bullseye by Brent Braun
• Wrote and recorded the music for the Men of Mystery magic show
• Sound engineer for the Men of Mystery magic show, Louisville, KY
• Guest lecturer at national magic conventions
• Musical compositions featured on Mike Sheffield’s National Radio Show, 2015
• The Matt Bennett original, “Fine Line”, was featured on Nash FM Country Radio, 2016
• Produced and Mastered the single “Maddie’s Song” by the band Six Year Stretch
• Finalist in the Nash Radio Network NASH-NEXT Competition
• VIP attendee at the 2016 Jazz Organ Summit in Holland, MI
• Attended the 2016 DIY Musician’s Conference put on by CD Baby
• Featured studio artist (on Wurlitzer electric piano) on the album “Creative Being” by David Cohen
• Music video production for the alternative rock band Six Year Stretch
• Performed and consulted on a project for the Ben Allen Band, with musicians from Big and Rich and Thompson Square
• Finalist in the 2017 Rock Erie Music Awards
• Nominated for 2017 Album of the Year, Rock Erie Music Awards
• Designed a blues lecture and presented live with blues legend Rodger Montgomery
• Nominated for 2018 Album of the Year, Rock Erie Music Awards for “So Far Behind Me” (2018)
• Nominated for 2018 Keyboardist/Pianist of the Year, Rock Erie Music Awards
• Winner of 2018 Blues Band category, Rock Erie Music Awards
• Contestant (with all original music) in the 2019 Blues Challenge hosted by the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania

What I’ve Published

Published books and writing:

Position Impossible – the manual for an effect created by Brent Braun

Plots, Ploys, & Other Cons A book on the thoughts and theories of the magician and Magic Firm CEO, Brent Braun

An Introduction to a Miracle – a book containing the finer details of Torched and Restored and an interview with the creator, Brent Braun

The Invisible Man – A book on Daniel Martin’s effect The Invisible Man as performed on Penn and Teller Fool Us (on the CW Network), an interview with Daniel Martin and interviews with those who have been made invisible.

Yellow Six, a Social Experiment

The Chair Principle

The Essence of Magic – A magic show molded by hundreds of performances through constant revision

Interviews and investigative pieces for the Capital News (Corydon, IN) including the byline on several front page articles

Pennsylvania’s 2018 Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction, the story “Knock, Knock, Knock” (Horror/Mystery)

Pennsylvania’s 2019 Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Mystery, the story “An Unforgettable Event” (Horror/Mystery)

Pennsylvania’s 2019 Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Science Fiction, the story “Crop Signals” (Science Fiction)

Published albums and music: 

Matt Bennett Band, City Lights (2016)

Matthew Bennett, The Things I Hear album (2016)

Matt Bennett Band, So Far Behind Me (2017)

Matthew Bennett, The Things I Hear Volume II (2017)

Matthew Bennett, The Things I Say (2018)

Matthew Bennett, A Mixed Up Christmas (2018)

Education

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania – Music Education
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY) – Church Music
Berklee College of Music – The Art of Music Production (CERTIFICATE)
University of Rochester – The Blues: Understanding and Performing an American Art Form (CERTIFICATE)

Memberships

Blues Society of Western PA (BSWPA)
Association of Writers and Writing Programs
National Council of Teachers of English

Software

iMovie, Garageband, Cakewalk, Reaper, Audacity, Logic Pro X, Various Linux Distributions, Evernote, Mainstage, Native Instruments Komplete, Calibre e-book management, LMMS, Ableton