MATTEW BALL a.k.a BOOGIE WOOGIE KID

MATTEW BALLes conocido también " Boogie Woogie Kid es "un pianista de blues y de Boogie Woogie de Michigan  Con un historial de rendimiento que incluye desde las apariencias sinfónicas hasta los  festivales de blues, este joven ya está a la cabeza de una carrera desempeñada envidiablemente.

Sus inicios en estudio clásico, Ball  abandonó esa devoción después de asistir a un festival en su ciudad ciudad natal de boogie-woogie. En sólo cuatro años, ya estaba compartiendo el escenario con figuras legendarias del Boogie-Woogie 

Mattew  Ball se ha convertido rápidamente en uno de los mejores de los mas considerados bluesmen  de Detroit y pianistas boogie-woogie.Un  discípulo del legendario Bob Seeley - 

Como decíamos antes la ormación clásica de  Mattew  le  convirtió en un consumado pianista muy  pronto en su  vida. Debutó en sus primeras apariciones sinfónicas antes de los 21 años, y antes del final de su estudio de pregrado había sido bien acogida en el extranjero para las actuaciones en Alemania. Después de completar una licenciatura doble en Música e Historia, y recibir el codiciado premio 'Ma TilDa', dejó la Universidad de Oakland, y la música, para seguir una licenciatura en derecho en la Universidad de Detroit. En 1998 él era un abogado con licencia de Michigan.

                                                                                     
                                

                                                                                       
                                 

                                                                                       
               


                                                                                         
                 

Described today as “One of Michigan’s premier blues & boogie-woogie pianists!” by The Holland Sentinel, Matthew Ball is a graduate of Oakland University (OU) and The University of Detroit School of Law. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in both Music and History, as well as a Juries Doctorate in Law. He trained classically at Oakland University with the internationally renowned classical pianist Flavio Varani, a graduate of The Paris Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music.

Matthew’s first public performances as a pianist were his appearances with the Pontiac-Oakland Symphony in 1992 & 1993 as winner of their annual young artist competition. In 1994, he performed as OU’s representative artist in a concert tour hosted by The Steinway Society, as well as in a chamber ensemble at The International Chamber Music Academy of Abu, Germany. Matthew is a Maida award winner and a Stanley Hollingsworth Scholarship recipient.

In 2001, Matthew attended a Motor City Boogie-Woogie Festival that would re-shape his life. Awestruck by the performances he saw, Matthew left his short career as an attorney to become a blues and boogie-woogie performing artist. To get there, he would seek out the help of Detroit’s ambassador of boogie-woogie, 83 year old Bob Seeley. A living link to the genre’s pioneer artists, Seeley took some convincing to accept Matthew as his student.

By 2005, Matthew was welcomed to perform at the 11th annual Cincinnati Blues Festival, where he headlined with some of the same performers who were his inspiration. Since then, Matthew has maintained an active performing career as ‘The Boogie Woogie Kid,’ with notable appearances at The Sky Hempy Keyboard Performance Series, The Jazz’n on Jefferson Festival, The Woodward Dream Cruise, Borders Books & Music Showcase, and The Milliken Auditorium of Northwestern Michigan University. He has performed two televised concerts for Oak Park Public Television and Clawson TV, has been featured on ‘WDRQ Detroit Underground’ as well as ‘WFYI The Blues House Party,’ and has presented educational clinics.

Called “The gen-X arrival to this uniquely American art-form,” by The Ann Arbor News, Matthew is helping to define a new generation’s contribution to this treasured American tradition. You can find Matthew on YouTube and at www.boogiewoogiekid.com. The Thumb Music Makers are proud to host this amazing talent.

The Thumb Music Makers group consists of Mary Barnes, Mary Cupery, Patty Finan, Dean Smith and Wendy Zick. The mission of the group is to enhance and broaden the community’s awareness and appreciation of our musical heritage by presenting a variety of musical events and activities. Meetings are held as needed.