Alumni Update: Matt Mudde, Entertainment Business Management
Graduated From: Entertainment Business Management Diploma (2012)
Matt Mudde graduated from the Entertainment Business Management Diploma Program in 2012 and has since established himself as an in-demand professional wearing multiple hats in the live music industry. Currently, Matt is managing multiple gigs at Burls Creek Event Grounds. He is the Site Operations Coordinator for Boots & Hearts and the Production Manager for both the upcoming Barenaked Ladies show and the I Love 90s Tour featuring Vanilla Ice and Salt n Pepa. Matt also maintains an ongoing gig with A Tribe Called Red as their Transport & Merchandise Manager and occasional Tour Manager. Just last month, Matt wrapped up another successful year as the Production Manager for Ever After Music Festival, headlined by EXCISION, Claude Vonstrake, Flux Pavilion, DoctorP, and Illesium, and he will soon be working with Excision again as the main-stage Production Manager at the Lost Lands Festival in September.
When we last caught up with Matt for an update he was just as busy, but he enjoys the fast-pace of the live music business. According the Matt,
“The luxury of a career in this industry is that no matter what gig you are on, it’s always different, and always interesting. No stage build is ever exactly the same, no festival site has the exact same footprint, not every venue is the same. The reward I take from this job is the final product that is presented to patrons.”
Matt has held various positions with the Ever After Music Festival over the years, and this year he was given the opportunity to call the special FX for every artist on the main stage. He spoke about the experience, telling us,
“There’s no better feeling than hitting a drop on time with Confetti, Streamers, Lasers, Cryo, Flames, and Pyro going off all around you!”
Although Matt focused on the business side of the entertainment industry while at Metalworks Institute, he has continued to make himself invaluable by building on those skills. His proactive approach to business and willingness to seize opportunities are two qualities that have helped get him to where he is today. He advises current students to
“Never stop learning…. One of the things that has given me the opportunity to do so many different gigs is the fact that I will never say no to a learning opportunity.”
We asked Matt “What has been the most helpful aspect of your Metalworks education?” and this is what he had to say:
“The overall workload of the course material really prepared me for this life. It comes in waves, and sometimes those waves hit you hard. You need to be able to juggle multiple projects with tight deadlines in order to be successful in this business, …. Also, appreciate the people within the walls of Metalworks, Profs and fellow students. One of my fellow alumni from my graduating year is now a Juno award-winning producer, another works as an assistant to the director of a major production company in the live touring business. You never know where the people who sit next to you will end up and that network is your ticket to success in this business.”
Matt’s success comes as a product of his work ethic, proactive approach to business and willingness to seize opportunities and take on new projects. As he tells it, “This career lifestyle is hard, really hard… but the reward when you stand on a viewing deck looking out to 40,000 people cheering and smiling from ear to ear at what you’ve helped create, that makes up for all of it.”
