Matthew Miller '23
BA Music, minor in Jazz
Pronouns: he/him

How did you hear about Stony Brook University?
I did the Stony Brook Music Precollege, then was invited to play in the University Big Band Ensemble. 

On Stony Brook:
After being in the Big Band, I fell in love with the incredible faculty. Everyone was welcoming and supportive, and I wanted to continue to work with them. 

Favorite class:
Jazz History was a lot of fun. Learning about such a rich topic with energetic faculty was always a joy each week. 

Interests and accomplishments:
I am a gigging musician, which makes life constantly fun and unique. On top of that, I work part time at the Jazz Loft and the Staller Center, where I learn everything about the performing arts business. My favorite accomplishment was starting my own band, Lost In Staller. When I’m not playing/enjoying music music, I enjoy collecting playing cards! I like to consider it small handheld art. 

Greatest achievement:
I work part time at the Jazz Loft, and my team and I ran a Seawolf Showcase, where we had two student clubs perform. It was an event that we as students organized from start to finish, including arranging transportation to and from campus, booking the performing clubs, getting funding for the event from a donor, doing sound check, and overall running the event. It was a great summary of everything I have learned from my previous work experience. 

Awards & Accolades:
I was awarded the Presser Scholar Award, the Robert D.L. Gardiner Foundation’s Young Scholar Grant, Bright Light Scholarship, Stony Brook University Academic Achievement Award, NYSCAME/SCMEA’s Gregory Mantone Scholarship, The Arion Award, and the John Philip Sousa Award. I am also part of the University Scholars Program, and I am graduating with the honors distinction of Summa Cum Laude and Departmental Honors.

Plans for post-graduation:
I am pursuing my Masters in Business Administration at Stony Brook! 

Career aspirations:
I hope to work for a concert hall. I love music, and I enjoy being both on stage and behind the scenes to make it all possible. 

Advice for potential Seawolves:
Don’t wait to do an internship! I did my first internship during the summer of my freshman year, and not only did I learn a lot and gain experience, but when applying for more programs later on it was easier to get accepted into more competitive programs. I also highly recommend either getting on campus work or research opportunities through the university. If you think it’s what you want to do as a career, start early to make sure it’s what you want to keep pursuing. It is ok to make mistakes. It is going to happen. No one is perfect. Make sure to learn from not only your own mistakes, but the mistakes of others. Learn from as many people as possible, what worked for them and what works for you, and do that. The world has changed a lot, and no one path is correct. Stay flexible, stay passionate, and stay positive, it really helps!

Favorite SBU memory:
The Stony Brook Film Festival was a blast to work. Not only were the films great, but the directors were super inspiring and welcoming when being interviewed.