Meet Matt Garrison

Matt Garrison, Class of ’01 (BM) and ’03 (MM)

I feel very fortunate that I found the Purchase Conservatory of Music. I did not know I wanted to become a musician until after my first full year of college and while in high school, I was virtually useless as a student. The faculty and staff helped me tremendously with the application process and if it wasn’t for them, I may never have gotten the opportunity to learn from some of my favorite teachers and musicians. Purchase College allows a student to find their voice, while simultaneously informing them of the techniques and history that have come before. Each and every instructor I learned from brought their own vast experiences and a love and dedication for the music that has shaped my current outlook.

Currently, I’m teaching private lessons, focusing mainly on saxophone, but also flute and clarinet. I am involved in several musical projects and have my own band called The Terranean Tinge, which plays my original music. I compose, arrange, and orchestrate, as well as produce for other artists. Playing and teaching music is my full time job, along with organizing and booking jazz acts at a restaurant/club in Rye. College, and education in general, is supposed to give a student the tools to use in the real world, and during my time at Purchase, I was certainly presented with a wide array of them.