Matthew Reed

I'm Matthew Reed; I'm a composer. I'm a dancer. I'm an educator. I'm a lover of life and learning and asking difficult questions.

But why? "Because."

Growing up, I was a "because why" kid. You've probably met the type: they ask so many questions that eventually the answer is simply, "Because." Unsatisfied, they immediately retort an insistent, "Because why?" I was a "because why" kid growing up because the only thing that seemed more numerous than my questions were the "becauses." I'm still a "because why" kid, because there are still questions to ask and there are still "becauses" to confront.

But why music? Why composition? If anything, music should have been the last thing on my mind, growing up: Neither of my parents are musically-inclined; we did not attend the local symphony/ballet/what-have-you (in fact, my hometown is chronically deficient in all of these); I did not even begin studying a musical instrument until roughly age 12 and didn't begin studying it in a serious manner until around 18-20.

And yet, this is exactly why I've pursued music. Growing up, music was one great big "Because," staring me in the face. For every answer I thought I found, I had another "because why" to throw back at it. Why use sonata form here? Because. Why do I learn scales and arpeggios? Because. Why pursue music at all, in this economy? Because.

Arguably the most important question of my musical career, though, was, "Why do composers compose?" Because. Composition, to me, is not just a "because why," anymore, though. It's a daily, challenging "Because." It's a way of asking, "Because why," in my life - a tool to crack open the mysteries of the universe.

Most importantly? It's something I can't not do. The more I've learned about music and composition, the stronger my hunger has become. I compose simply, "Because." If you want more, you'll have to ask me, "Because why?"

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That's me, the composer and the "because why" kid. To many of you who would read this, though, I'm also an educator, and a dancer. To you, everything above may seem inconsequential, but to understanding me as an educator or as a dancer, it is absolutely essential. Want to know why? Ask me. If you're persistent, I may even give you more than a "Because."