Description
The phrase “Outside the Lines” can be taken to mean something that is unique, non-standard, or simply unusual. This title represents several different aspects of the pieces recorded on this album, the composers who wrote them, and myself as a performer. The first, obvious pun is that much of the music you will hear is literally outside of the lines; it is often above or below the staff! Something unique about myself as a performer is that I actively play the euphonium, and both F and CC tuba, which you will hear on this album.
More importantly though is the collection of works and their composers. I would not classify any of them as “Standard” pieces for these instruments, but I view all of them as wonderful works of art, worthy of that designation. In selecting this repertoire, it was important to me to feature selections by both underrepresented and contemporary composers. In that spirit, at the time of this writing, most of the pieces on this album are world premiere recordings, including: Hvati, A Moment of Truth, Movere, Let There Be Funk (tuba version), and Kevin Day’s Concerto for Euphonium & Wind Ensemble.
Track Listing
- Hvati (2016) – Andrea Clearfield
- A Moment of Truth (2021) – Drew Bonner
- Movere (2017) – Chris Dickey
- Romance for Tuba (2000) – Elizabeth Raum
- Listen… (2021) – Benjamin Horne
- Let There Be Funk (2001) – D. Edward Davis
- Concerto for Euphonium & Wind Ensemble (2019): I. Machine – Kevin Day
- Concerto for Euphonium & Wind Ensemble (2019): I. Feeeling – Kevin Day
- Concerto for Euphonium & Wind Ensemble (2019): I. Pardox – Kevin Day
About the Artist
Matthew Shipes is the Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at The University of Georgia and tubist with the Georgia Brass Quintet. A dedicated advocate of tuba and euphonium performance and peda-gogy, Matt also has worked with the International Tuba Euphonium Association (ITEA) as Membership Marketer and Social Media director, communicating with an international audience of enthusiasts, students and professionals.
In 2020 Matt created the first-ever international euphonium mock-band e-competition, Stars and Shipes, engaging over 100 participants from several countries around the world and featuring a judging panel of top euphonium performers from the premier military bands in Washington D.C. over three years.
Matt was a member of The United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C as a euphoniumist in the Ceremonial Brass, a position he held until 2016. While in the band, he had many opportunities to perform for former President Obama, several foreign leaders, and for hundreds of ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery.
Matt has performed recitals and given masterclasses across the country, including a featured solo recital at the 2019 United States Army Band’s Tuba and Euphonium Workshop. He was also an invited speaker at the 2019 International Tuba and Euphonium Conference (ITEC) at the University of Iowa, and presented his class, “A Guide to Military Band Auditions,” which he has presented at several regional tuba and euphonium conferences as well. He also performed with the American Tuba Quartet, of which he is a founding member, at the 2016 ITEC at the University of Tennessee, and has most recently been a featured soloist and performer at 2022 regional ITEA conferences.
Matt earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University, a Master of Music degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of Arkansas, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Tuba Performance from the University of Georgia. His primary teachers are David Graves, Benjamin Pierce, and David Zerkel, and also studied trombone extensively with Brent Phillips, Gerald Sloan, and Joshua Bynum.
