5 million YT views / 2k FB fans!
Music for all ages
MATTHEW BALL
The Motor City Boogie Woogie Kid!
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Pianist/Singer and Songwriter Matthew Ball, aka The Boogie Woogie Kid, is the piano man with 5 million YT views! A national touring act, Matthew performs New Orleans and Swing Era favorites from The American Songbook. His performances are described as "Awesome!" Crushing!" "Fantastic!" In 2020 he became a CAFE grant award winner in recognition for his 'family-friendly' music contributions to the community. Said about Matthew:
"A number of piano players have performed here but this guy is something we haven't
seen in a long time... I was just blown away!"-The Bay City State Theatre
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A world-class talent, Matthew has performed overseas,in Canada and Germany, and across 15 states. He is described as “Michigan’s leading boogie-woogie pianist!” by The Farmington Patch, "A boogie-woogie master!" by The Romeo Observer, and “the fastest fingers in the Mid-west!” by Press and Guide.
A graduate of Oakland University and lifetime Metro-Detroiter, Matthew trained classically at Oakland University with classical pianist Flavio Varani, a graduate of The Paris Conservatory and Manhattan School of Music, who traced his own pedigree of study back to Chopin himself!
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Recently appearing on a host of local shows, including 'Studio 10 with Nicole Buchmann' on Channel 10 Lansing WILX, Fox News Up North's 'Michigan This Morning Show,' twice on Fox News Detroit's 'The Nine Show,' on Fox News Grand Rapids' 'The Morning Mix' Show, Channel 20 News Detroit's 'Concert on the Qube,' and as well as Pam Rossi's 'Behind the Mic' hit podcast, Matthew Ball has established himself as one of the leading entertainers around Detroit and Michigan.
In 2017, he performed his children's program with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra! Matthew has also been featured guest on Michigan Public Radio’s Ann Delisi's and Rob Reinhart's Essential Music Programs, The Craig Fahle Show and WMUK’s The Art & More Show.
Called the 'fastest fingers in the Mid-west!' by Press and Guide, Matthew performs an upbeat program of New Orleans Song, Boogie-Woogie piano, and Swing Era favorites from the Classic American Songbook, with arrangements of American classics like It Had to be You, In the Mood, When the Saints Go Marchin In, That's the Glory of Love, Basin Street Blues, Bumble Boogie, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Nobody Knows You When You're
Down and Out, What a Wonderful World, and more!
Today Matthew is known online and on-stage as THE BOOGIE WOOGIE KID with a performance history that spans 15 states, including everything from symphony and chamber appearances to Jazz and Blues festivals, and with descriptions of his performances like, "Awesome!" "Crushing!" and "Fantastic!"
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Now with 5 million YOUTUBE views of past performance footage, he has distinguished himself as an internationally recognized practitioner and authority on these treasured American art-forms.
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PIANO & SONG PERFORMANCE
classic American songs - family friendly entertainment
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A nationally touring act of piano virtuosity, song, and family music fun, Matthew presents an upbeat program of Piano, Song, Boogie-n-Blues, Jazz-n-Rags with arrangements of classic American songs like It Had to be You, In the Mood, When the Saints Go Marchin In, That's The Glory of Love, Basin Street Blues, Bumble Boogie, Just a Closer Walk with Thee, Nobody Knows You When You're
Down and Out, What a Wonderful World, and more!
The Jazz that made America Dance! - Matthew performs timeless music from the 20's, 30's & 40's with a focus on New Orleans and Swing Dance Era piano styles. Matthew's music is an engaging event of toe-tapping piano athleticism that captures the spirit, fun, and tradition of a celebrated American music heritage.
CHILDREN PEFORMANCES / TUNES FOR TOTS
Boogie-Woogie Nursery Rhymes!
Matthew presents programs for young families and children with his 'Tunes for Tots' styled performance of Boogie-Woogie Nursery Rhymes. It is a 45 minute interactive music performance of boogie'd arrangements of Hokey Pokey, Happy and You Know it, Wheels on The Bus, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Bingo, This Land is Your Land, and more. So well received, Matthew's 'Tunes for Tots' styled boogie-woogie nursery rhyme program was just performed for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra's Tiny Tots series in 2017!
MASTERCLASS & LECTURE
Matthew is an internationally recognized expert in the field of blues and boogie-woogie piano playing. He has taught, performed, been interviewed, and has sold his teaching materials around the nation and globe.
Matthew's Masterclass is a 'how to' styled 60-minute lecture presentation on boogie-woogie & blues music, involving part performance and part instruction on how to make the music for oneself.
It is designed as an educational experience for group audience. In the absence of a comprehensive written tradition for these genres, Matthew's presentation offers an opportunity to learn about the techniques and understanding needed to create this music for yourself.
"Our highest audience turn-out and participation in the history of our series .... Thank you Matthew for a wonderful and uplifting concert!"
-St. Clair Community College
Arts @ Noon Series
"A new record turnout ... the biggest audience we've had yet! Thank you Matthew!"
-The Opera House of Howell
"We've never had an audience this big, standing room only, and standing ovation, EXCELLENT job!"
- The Royal Oak Library
"A number of piano players have performed here but this guy is something we haven't seen in a long time... I was just blown away!"
-The Bay City State Theatre
"He's great ... It's great the library does this ...Bring him back ... Wonderful ... That's a tough one to beat ... Fantastic program ...
Terrific ... Excellent; A++++++ ... This guy was fantastic ... We adored it ... Fabulous ... Be sure to tell him how much we all enjoyed him."
-comments from audience review cards /Plymouth District Library
"Boogie Woogie Kid crushes it during an in studio performance!"
-WDET / The Craig Fahle Show
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"We've never had a full house, or a standing ovation before you Matthew ... Thank you!"
-Friends of the Library
"This was our largest crowd for an event we've done here ever..."
-Jasckon County Library
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"This is the largest crowd we have ever had... we even ran out of programs!"
-Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center
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"This is our biggest audience yet!"
-Oak Park Public Library
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"I'm 71, and that was the best concert I've ever seen!"
-Warren Concert Association
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"That was the best concert we've had here in all the 18 years we've been doin it!"
-Batesville Memorial Library Series
"Thank you for a wonderful performance. My facilities manager has let me know that he actually
put 210 chairs, not 200, so my count is 260 people at the show—standing room only-our largest yet!"
-Clinton-Macomb Library
"Ball put on a marvelous performance for our patrons... we had a lot of positive feedback ... he received a standing ovation!"
-Sterling Heights Library
"Ball has been called 'the fastest fingers in the Mid-west!"
-Press and Guide
"We've been putting on concerts here for 36 years, and your concert Matthew ranks among the best! ... Just Great!"
-Melmore Opera House
"A boogie-woogie master!"
-The Romeo Observer
"a SENSATIONAL pianist!"
-Graubner Library
"Michigan's leading boogie-woogie piano man!"
-The Farmington Patch
"Wonderful family entertainment!"
-St. Sebastian Church
"Ball is one of Michigan's premier blues and boogie-woogie pianists."
-The Holland Sentinel
"The YouTube sensation with more than 3 million views, Matthew Ball aka The Boogie Woogie Kid delivers a rollicking piano performance!"
-Metro Parent
"The Entertainer. Swanee River. The Star Spangled Banner. Pinetop's Boogie. The songs were as farmiliar as neighborhoods from one's childhood. We'd incorporated them into our cultural DNA, and yet they were transformed by pianist Matthew Ball's artistry and fierce chops, the way old neighborhoods get transformed by time. We were in the lower level of Hackley Public Library in downtown Muskegon, bearing witness to Ball's latter-day vision of ragtime, boogie woogie and the blues. The music had the whole group of us nodding our heads in unison, like 90 strangers who had somehow stumbled across a common point of agreement......there was a joyful noise. Ball played boogie woogie like a two-fisted orchestra, with rich, athletic melodies streaming from his right hand and deep, thumping chords from his left. His 90-minute performance was a dizzying cab ride through time. Every song was a history lesson. Every chord was simultaneously a glance in the rear-view mirror and a look at what loomed ahead. By now we should know better than to believe music bears an expiration date. Now and then, though, there's a reminder.... THE BOOGIE WOOGIE KID."
-Review byThe Muskegon Chronicle's Clayton Hardiman
"Matthew is The. Bomb. What a wonderful concert!.......
Matthew Ball is indeed "THE BOMB".......so wonderfully talented. He inspires all of us "other" pianists and gives us something to strive for in the future. The concert was totally mesmerizing. I could listen to his playing for hours. I shall start practicing again tomorrow for sure.
Thanks for making this concert possible!!! A VERY BIG BRAVO to Matthew.......B R A V O !!!!
-Facebook Comments and Reviews
"Matthew always seems to flawlessly execute skillful, as well as entertaining performances!"
-Carnegie Concert Series
"That was the best concert we've had all season!"
-Union County Concert Association
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"You're the best entertainer we've ever had here"
-All Seasons of Birmingham
"You performed beautifully for our Mother’s Day Celebration. Everyone told me they loved your concert. I thought you were amazing and enjoyed hearing ragtime and boogie-woogie music. I want our Residents happy and dancing and you were just what the doctor ordered. I had to get up and dance too! We look forward to having you back soon. Thanks Matthew!"
-Jewish Senior Life
"A one-man piano act that brings back the sounds and history of the golden age for blues and ragtime ... “It’s really an educational performance,” Sandusky said. “Ball really interacts well with the audience. He takes breaks to talk about the history, the original artists and composer, then he’s off into another song.”
-The Bargain Hunter
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"...you might call Ball the Gen-X arrival to this uniquely American art-form."
-The Ann Arbor News
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"This is a rising giant in the field!"
-Metroland Albany New York
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"A master of boogie-woogie piano!"
-Bloomfield-Lahser Schools
"Matthew Ball heats up the stage!"
-Saugatuck Center for the Arts
"Best bit of blues piano that I have ever seen on YouTube!" "...This is talent!!!!"
-YouTube.com
"(Matthew Ball) the man with an iron left hand..."
-audience
"A captivating rendition... One of the best boogie-woogie performances on YouTube... This fellow is destined to be a legend."
-Terry Aspinall's Boogie Woogie Forum
"Get ready to dance in the aisles..!"
-Borders Books & Music
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"Awesome!" ... "Masterful!" ... "Stunning!"
-by Patrons
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"That was the best entertainment we've ever had"
-Glacier Hills Foundation
"I'm 89, and I've never heard anything like you! ...Fantastic!"
-audience
“Exactly what I needed to lift my spirits tonight! Wonderful! ... Fantastic program and performer! ... Bravo, bravo, bravo. Such talent-so enjoyable! ...
Fabulous Show! ... The Fastest Fingers EVER! ... Bring Matt back!”
-audience reviews on performance
"...a young person representing the grandest tradition of boogie-woogie."
-Chicago Arts Network
"MaTilDa Award Winner"
-Oakland University
"An absolutely wonderful concert, tremendous virtuosity combined with crowd-pleasing repertoire, our audience loved every minute."
-Nardin Park Concert Series
"Matthew had heads bobbing, toes tapping, and tushes wiggling, leaving you in awe as his fingers flew across the keys!"
-The Saginaw News
"A standout performer of the genre!"
-Dennos Museum
"one of the top boogie-woogie and blues pianists!"
-The Record Eagle
"I've met a master ... Thank you for a wonderful concert .. I so enjoyed hearing you!"
-Season Ticket Holder
"I've seen a lot of concerts but you are something special ...
Your playing was fantastic but your dialogue and history about the pieces was so great! ... Well done!"
-Season Ticket Holder
"Hi there! My son and I came to your concert on Thursday at the Lenawee Library and I just wanted to let you know
that we had a fabulous time and thoroughly enjoyed your music! My son is 3 and enjoys a variety of musical styles but had never really heard any boogie woogie that I know of.
For the first few songs, he was just taking it all in. Then you started in on Flight of the Bumblebees and he went nuts!
I have never seen him go that crazy with dancing before, especially in public. I was in tears I was laughing so hard. We had an amazing time and you are obviously very talented.
Thank you for sharing that with us in Adrian.... Best wishes to you as you continue making beautiful, toe-tapping music."
-Audience on Concert
"....many people commented that they loved the history that you provided, and how it made your overall presentation
much more enjoyable. It was a very enjoyable show!"
-Pemberville Opera House
"A 2009-2012 Michigan Arts & Humanities Touring Directory Member"
-Michigan Arts & Humanities Council
"Your playing just gave me goosebumps it was so good"
-audience on 'Over the Rainbow Blues'
"That was the best Tipitina since Dr. John's ... Loved it!"
-audience on 'Tipitina'
"That was the best arrangement of the Star Spangled Banner since Jimmy Hendrix"
-audience on Star Spangled Blues
"How do your fingers move that fast ... it was just amazing ... AMAZING!"
-audience on 'Bumble Bee Boogie'
"Just saw you play a couple hours ago with my daughter, nephew, and parents! Awesome sounds! Great story telling!
Wonderful Saturday afternoon Matthew!"
-audience on concert performance
"I've never been so entertained!"
-audience on concert performance
"Ball gave a brilliant performance and should be considered as a notable contemporary boogie woogie pianist ... (he) didn't mess up once as his fingers flew across the keys!"
-Noizenews.com
"A blues master ..."
-The Macomb Patch
"You blew me away Matthew! ... your playing was like watching a dance with the piano."
-audience on 'Boogie Woogie Kid'
"Matthew Ball packed Guild Hall, opened with one
of his own compositions, and then took the audience through the history of boogie-woogie music to
enthusiastic applause after every piece finishing
with a standing ovation by the end."
-Ralph Deeds Blogger Concert Review
"Matthew... I received many comments from the audience on how much they enjoyed your program and talent!
I personally found it thoroughly entertaining and interesting ... Thanks so much!"
-The Novi Public Library
"A brilliant performance Matthew! You held that audience in the palm of your hand..."
- Lambton County Library
"A highly enjoyable and entertaining boogie-woogie revue!"
- Plymouth District Library
"The heyday of Boogie Woogie and its fabulous artists was well over half a century ago. What amazes me today is that more
than fifty years later, there arises another artist who rivals all its predecessors... Matthew Ball."
-Youtube.com
"Matthew Ball isn't your typical boogie-woogie pianist!"
-Herald Palladium
“Ragtime & Boogie-Woogie pianist Matthew Ball has renewed ‘the art of the concert’ with an experience that will leave you both wowed by his pianistic athleticism, and uplifted with a sense of national honor about these often forgotten, but uniquely American art-forms!”
-Jazz Review
"A nationally emerging boogie-woogie master"
-Christ Church Cranbrook
"My wife and I attended your performance in Marysville and thoroughly enjoyed it! We both left saying your
performance was the best of this year's concert series...I've spent the week watching YouTube videos and searching websites
and also thought you were the best of any I saw..."
-audience on performance
"The guy stopped being a lawyer, he loves music so much! Hearing Matthew Ball play, one can understand why. His interpretations do justice to the masters of classical piano and jazz."
-Detroit Performs
"I just wanted to thank you again for making Grosse Pointe Unitarian Church's inaugural concert such a success this past Saturday night. Sitting in the back of the sanctuary, I could see the audience members, of all ages, jivin' and toe-tappin' along with your playing. It was such an upbeat performance; I'm sure folks were still smiling on their way home! At church on Sunday, several people came up to me and told me how much they enjoyed your performance. I even overheard a few folks telling others about how much fun it was."
-Grosse Pointe Unitarian
"Just a flat-out seriously AWESOME concert it was at the Scarab Club today with Kerry Price, Matthew Ball (The Boogie Woogie Kid), Kurt Krahnke, and Emma Aboukasm!"
-The Detroit Blues Society
"Thank you for coming to Mackinaw City! Your concert was the highlight of our season!"
-Mackinaw City Arts Council
"it was the best concert I ever saw!"
-Jansen Art Center
"... your talent is insurmountable sir!"
-YouTube
"Thank you for coming - all evening people kept thanking me for bringing you here. I hope we will see you back in our area soon!"
-Venango Museum
"Matt - What an incredible experience it is to listen to you work the piano. I am sure I have never heard that piano played so skillfully!
You are a true artist and brought so much joy to all of the folks that attended the performance last night!
I have never seen a happier crowd exiting the OPC!
Everyone was still talking about it today and asking me when you will return!"
-Old Persons Commission
"Thank you so much for sharing your time and talents with our NEXT members! Not very often have I heard so many positive, excited comments about an entertainment program…me too! Your concert was amazing…"
-Birmingham NEXT
"We've been to all of these concerts here in the series, and yours was the best"
-Oxford concerts in the park
