About Me
I grew up on the south shore of Long Island, New York and I still believe our beaches are the best in the world. My home is New York City, but a piece of my heart is always in Boston. I own too many instruments, and I am always ready for a jam session. I’m at my best when I’m collaborating, be it as a musician, teacher, or student. Spotify can’t figure out how to make Daily Mixes for me because I show equal love for bluegrass and Nine Inch Nails.
I’m a staunch advocate of public education, and I believe that music in our schools is the yardstick of civilization. I’m happy in the classroom making music with kids of all ages. I play gigs, write music for school groups, and arrange pop songs for string orchestras. I love good food, browsing used book and record stores, and climbing mountains. I’ve been to more than thirty Phish concerts. I know a lot about Star Trek.
Official Bio
Matthew Gelfer (b. 1983) is a New York based multi-instrumentalist performer, educator, songwriter, composer and clinician. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music and a master’s degree from Stony Brook University. Mr. Gelfer currently teaches middle school orchestra in the Huntington School District in Suffolk County, New York. Previously he taught elementary strings in the Middle Country School District, where he started a fifth-grade fiddle club and co-founded a ukulele program.
He plays fiddle and mandolin with the Brooklyn-based folk band The New Students. They have recorded and released three albums of original songs. He also performs with the indie-rock outfit Rebecca Hart & The Wrong Band. He has done copious recording session work as well as toured the United States as a member of Lonesome Traveler, a folk revue featuring Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul & Mary.
