Matt Welch BIO
Matt has had a life-long relationship with music, starting at age 7 when he
started taking piano lessons. At Age 9, he started playing the trombone in
the Clara Barton Elementary School Band directed by Mr. Bernard Zachary.
In Junior high school, he began studying piano, trombone and composition
with Vito DiSalvo. After Vito moved to Florida to pursue a master’s degree
at the University of Miami, Matt began studying piano with Terry Harr, and
trombone with Evan Broman.
After high school, Matt studied trombone with Matty Shiner and earned a
degree in Music Education from Duquesne University. A few months after
graduation in 1979, Matt joined a traveling high energy show band called
the Four Coins who had been playing around the country especially in Las
Vegas, and Reno Nevada. He played with them for almost a year until they
disbanded and drove back to Pittsburgh. He later auditioned for another
traveling show band, “Doug DiPreta and Delegation”, where he played
trombone, congas, sang and played drums. Delegation worked in resorts,
hotels and casinos in the eastern part of the country as well as some of the
Caribbean Islands and Canada.
After about 6 years when work opportunities for bands started to become
scarce, Matt decided to pursue a corporate career and joined a small
package shipping company called Roadway Package System, who was
later acquired by FedEx. While working there, he discovered another
passion which was developing and facilitating professional development,
and leadership courses for managers. While working, Matt continued to
play in a variety of bands on the weekends. He retired from FedEx and is
currently playing with a 9-piece dance band called “In Transit”.
started taking piano lessons. At Age 9, he started playing the trombone in
the Clara Barton Elementary School Band directed by Mr. Bernard Zachary.
In Junior high school, he began studying piano, trombone and composition
with Vito DiSalvo. After Vito moved to Florida to pursue a master’s degree
at the University of Miami, Matt began studying piano with Terry Harr, and
trombone with Evan Broman.
After high school, Matt studied trombone with Matty Shiner and earned a
degree in Music Education from Duquesne University. A few months after
graduation in 1979, Matt joined a traveling high energy show band called
the Four Coins who had been playing around the country especially in Las
Vegas, and Reno Nevada. He played with them for almost a year until they
disbanded and drove back to Pittsburgh. He later auditioned for another
traveling show band, “Doug DiPreta and Delegation”, where he played
trombone, congas, sang and played drums. Delegation worked in resorts,
hotels and casinos in the eastern part of the country as well as some of the
Caribbean Islands and Canada.
After about 6 years when work opportunities for bands started to become
scarce, Matt decided to pursue a corporate career and joined a small
package shipping company called Roadway Package System, who was
later acquired by FedEx. While working there, he discovered another
passion which was developing and facilitating professional development,
and leadership courses for managers. While working, Matt continued to
play in a variety of bands on the weekends. He retired from FedEx and is
currently playing with a 9-piece dance band called “In Transit”.