Drum Anatomy/ Matt Smith

Matt Smith performs live/ June 28, 2009.

Matt Smith is an award winning teenage jazz drummer, turntable mixologist, occasional vibraphonist, the 2006 WFD Speed Drumming World Champion, and the current World's Fastest Drummer (Traditional Grip).

Matt is the son and grandson of two accomplished jazz musicians. His father has served as a Fulbright Professor of Jazz Studies in Romania, Serbia, and South Africa, and led a celebrated big band in the 1980s. He was also named the 2008 recipient of the Jazz Ambassador Award by the International Association for Jazz Education. Matt's grandfather was New Orleans' best known jazz trombonist a decade before, a pioneering jazz educator, and a performer with several national orchestras.

Matt was introduced to the drums at age 9, when Louie Bellson (one of his father's performing acquaintances) gave him his first pair of drumsticks. Matt's official debut occured at age 12, when he performed for a jazz combo on Romanian National Television.

At age 14, Matt recorded his first album under his own name, featuring an all star European lineup. In 2005 (without Bellson's knowledge), he entered the Louie Bellson National Drumset Competition, and became the youngest finalist in that competition's history.

Since 2005, he has held a number of speed drumming world records, and in 2007, set the world speed endurance record when he performed 5132 single strokes in five consecutive minutes.

On June 26, 2008 Matt broke Steve Vai drummer/ Berklee Professor Mike Mangini's 4 year old traditional grip world speed record, when he recorded 1132 single strokes played in 1 minute, making him the world's fastest verifiable traditional grip drummer of all time.

Since 2005, Matt has performed and been interviewed on numerous American media outlets, including PBS, CBS Radio and CNN. In 2008, a PBS news segment featuring Matt and drummer Johnny Rabb was nominated for an Arts and Entertainment News Documentary Emmy Award.

In July 2008, Matt was named a runnerup in the Rising Star category of the 2008 Drum Magazine Readers Poll, and has appeared as an endorser/clinician/performer at several NAMM conventions. His second recording is scheduled for release in 2009.

Matt is a 2009 graduate of the Atlanta Institute of Music.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• drum
• solo
• elise
• royster
• mangini
• matt
• smith
• morello
• rabb
• rich

[Kaeonsomaiah]

Great stuff man, you show that hard work pays off

good luck in the future

[tiggleme22]

keep at it who knows maybe someday you'll be as much of a beast as buddy rich

[sports444life]

wow crazy man you are one of the best drummers I have seen on youtube!

[jamo2006]

Well done! Music is love, keep it up young man :)

[cherkassky92]

You studied bossa nova... i bet

[DrummerChess]

This is great. There's nothing quite like jazz.

[willV]

great videos. you are going to go very far in drumming

[marcusphenom31]

excellent solo....great great technique

[slamdunk9]

HAPPY 20TH TODAY MATT. You are now a man lol.

[xdoseonex]

I just HAVE to come back and watch your videos sometimes Matt. ALWAYS impressive as shit.