Matt Baker

"At Berklee we have a global view of music, not limited to any specific set of styles or traditions, but encompassing all styles and all traditions, and that is exactly what makes up the core of my teaching philosophy."

"My career has led me down many different paths, from jazz to classical soloist, from folk music to acting in musical theater, from tango to opera, and even to playing early music on a 16-stringed instrument that only a handful of people in the world play. What I’ve learned through all of this is that musical diversity is the key to a fulfilling and continually evolving professional life. As a musician, that sort of musical diversity and innovation is what will make you stand out above all others."

"At the age of 10, my first double bass teacher promised me I could study jazz, but only if I first learned the technical foundations of the double bass through classical training. This was probably one of the pivotal moments in my musical studies: concrete training in sound production, tuning, rhythm, and articulation that then seamlessly flowed into a musical adventure in improvisation. To this day, what I try to give my students is a solid base of technical expertise in their instrument, but with the idea that they use these very techniques to realize their creativity and ideas to their maximum potential, that every nuance, every turn, and every burst of creative brilliance of theirs can be achieved."

"I would love my students to come away from their studies with the feeling that they really understand their own playing and have all the resources at hand to step back, look at what they are creating, and then know how to achieve what they envision. In short, I like to give my students the tools to carry on teaching and improving themselves throughout their whole career."