Biography
Michael Mattioli continues to expand his career and craft in music and filmmaking as a producer, director and composer. The "Building Green" TV series, airing on PBS stations around the country, established a new launch point in his career. Michael co-directed and produced the series, shooting and editing much of the first 6 episodes released in October 2006. As co-creator of the series, he created the segment titles & their animated graphics, wrote, performed, and recorded all of the music; and handled the production & post-production sound duties. This project was spotlighted in an Apple Pro Article. Michael carries this work forward into other exciting film and commercial projects - including shooting and recording sound for the behind the scenes footage of the feature film "Appaloosa," starring and directed by Ed Harris, slated for release this September, 2008.
Michael has been scoring and producing music for picture since 1989, when his scores for the short films "Only Natural" and "An Urban Tragedy" were featured and honored at numerous film festivals across the country - including AFI in Los Angeles, New Films New Directors in New York, and the Chicago International Film Festival. He has composed and produced music for dozens of national TV commercials, shows, and films; his first feature film score in 1996 for "Kiss & Tell," stars Heather Graham, Rose McGowan, and Peter Greene. Michael translates the emotions of scenes into music that fits and supports the action and direction of the project within the budget.
Michael began studying music and playing musical instruments at the age of eight: voice, saxophones, guitars, organ, flutes, synthesizers, various Latin and African percussion, composition, and arranging. In 1984, he began programming synthesizers and drum machines, using computers and multi track recorders, and co-producing recordings with members of his popular band "Newspeak." In 1989, he played saxophone on "Martika," for CBS Records, which achieved gold record status. He has performed as a session musician and programmer on numerous records and film soundtracks throughout his career, with the likes of Perry Farrell, Stephen Perkins, Rob Wasserman, Mike Watt, Bill Payne, Peter Frampton, Greg Kurstin, and Maxi Priest, among others. He is comfortable playing in most musical styles, is an excellent sight-reader, improviser, and a dynamic soloist and live performer, having performed in concert and club venues across the country.
Michael Mattioli Music and Sound Design began with freelance music and sound work, primarily for Caudill and Associates; (1989-1993) composing music, recording sound on location, and doing post production sound mixing for the Orange County production company's projects. Next opportunity was at LA Post, a video post-production facility in Santa Monica, (now West Post Digital) where he continued to do scoring and sound design work on various commercial, TV and film projects. (1993-1997) He trained briefly at Todd AO Sound at that time, expanding his skill set to include sound editing, and found himself working as a sound editor and sound supervisor on several independent feature films, including "Bar Girls" in 1994 and "Love and Happiness" in 1995. He then moved his company to The Complex Studios in West LA (1997-2001) where he was nominated for a Golden Reel award for ADR recording for HBO's "The Hunchback," (1997) and also worked as a voice over engineer on various episodes of "The Simpson's" for Fox Television. He also mixed multiple feature film trailers for Warner Home Video during this time, recording voice over artists like Don LaFontaine in the process.
From 1989-2001, Michael developed the Electronic Music Program at the Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences in Santa Monica, California, where he taught classes of his own curriculum, grades 7-12. Teaching music and technology part time in a synthesizer lab gave him opportunities: to work with fresh music minds, to stay current with technology and gear, and to explore ways to improve how music can be made and taught to students of all levels, using an approach focusing on the creative aspects of making music with the available equipment: synthesizers, sequencers, computers, software, microphones, multi track recorders, mixers, and effects devices.
