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. Matt is also on the instructional staff for The Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps and arranges music for several marching percussion groups across the country, including Music City Drum Corps, Guardians Drum Corps and the Hawthorne Caballeros

Displaying a comprehensive background in both classical and marching percussion, Matt's performance accolades include: 3rd Prizewinner of the TROMP International Percussion Competition, Top Prizewinner of the Atlanta Modern Snare Drum Competition, a Great Plains Marimba Competition Semifinalist and Southern California Marimba Competition Semifinalist. As a marching percussion soloist Matt was a DCI Individual and Ensemble Tenor Champion and PASIC Collegiate Tenor Solo Champion. He was also included alongside Jake Harpster on the album Nightflower, by Elliot Cole, released in 2019.

Matt has performed and given masterclasses at the North Carolina Percussion Symposium, Northwestern Percussion Symposium, Nebraska PAS Day of Percussion, the University of North Carolina-Pembroke, International Percussion Festival Seoul in South Korea, and was a guest soloist with Sharyland Pioneer High School at PASIC. 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. Matt teaches private lessons to students ranging from beginners to collegiate level and is currently an instructor at the George Mason University Indoor Drumline and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. 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 and Dynasty USA products.