Matthew Bell is a percussionist known for his versatility and sensitive accompaniment style. He has performed and/or recorded with Celtic musicians Bonnie Rideout, Jerry O’Sullivan, William Jackson, John Doyle, Cathie Ryan, Liz Carroll, Mick Maloney, Brendan Dolan, Maggie Sansone, Kevin McCrae, Tony Cuffe, Hazel Wrigley, Mairi MacInnes, Christine Hanson, Billy McComiskey, Rosie Shipley, Paddy League, Flynn Cohen, Emerald Rae, Patsy O'Brien, and Eliot Grasso.Locally, he has played at venues including the Kennedy Center, Wolftrap Center for the Performing Arts, the Birchmere, the Strathmore Center for the Performing Arts, the Verizon Center, and the White House. He has appeared on national television broadcasts including Good Morning America and the Kennedy Center Honors.From 1993 until 2003, Matt was a snare drummer in the City of Washington Pipe Band. The Band won the world Championships as well as the World Pipe Band Drum Corps Championships in 1999 in Glasgow. Matt is presently a snare drum adjudicator within the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association.Matt graduated from DePaul University in 2002 with a Bachelors of Music Degree in Percussion Performance. His Principal teachers were Mike Green, Ted Atkatz, and Fred Selvaggio.For the past six years, Matt has been gainfully employed as a Snare Drum Instrumentalist with the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps of the United States Army. The Corps performs over 250 times a year.
