Matt Savage Feature Story Page 2

“What I love about jazz,” says Matt, “is that you can break all the rules and be free.” Matt studied Jazz at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston and recorded his first solo album in 1999 in collaboration with his instructor. Matt also became the youngest child to perform at the NEPTA “Gifted and Talented” classical recitals in 2000.

Another reason Matt is extraordinary is his brilliance in so many areas other than music. With the support and guidance of his family, Matt has thrived in every aspect of his life. Concurrent with his diagnosis of autism, Matt was identified as having hyperlexia. Hyperlexia is a precocious ability to read words, far above what would be expected at one’s chronological age or an intense fascination with letters or numbers. Matt’s parents used this fascination to encourage Matt through written word. Matt could comprehend and execute high level math at a very young age.  He loved maps and puzzles. His parents gave him access to anything and everything that piqued his interest, encouraging his gifts and strengths without restriction. Matt’s extremely high intelligence in so many areas enabled him to win the National Geographic “Geo Bee” at the state level and represent New Hampshire at the national level in Washington, D.C. With the encouragement of his school principal, Matt taught math to his fellow third grade classmates and to fourth grade classes. Matt had the natural gifts of perfect pitch (the ability of a person to identify or recreate a musical note without the benefit of an external reference) and perfect rhythm. His interest in music was immediate, and Matt became an accomplished and highly acclaimed jazz musician. Matt Savage is one of fewer than 100 people known in the world as a “prodigious savant.” This term was coined by Dr. Darold A. Treffert, an internationally known researcher in the field of Savant Syndrome, to refer to savants whose skills would be considered spectacular even if they were possessed by someone not faced with a disability.

Matt has received many awards, including being signed in 2003 to Bösendorfer pianos as the only child to be so recognized in the company’s 175 year history. Matt has earned ASCAP’s “Young Jazz Composers Award” every year since 2005 and topped the International Songwriting Competition each year since 2006. Compositions receiving such honors have included “The Wild Rose” from his CD “Cutting Loose” (2004/2005), “Serenity” (2005/2006), and “Hide and Seek” (2006/2007) both cuts from his CD “Quantum Leap.” Matt garnered Second Place in the International Songwriting Competition for his song, “A 6/4 Song (That’s Also in 6/4)” (2007/2008) from his CD “Hot Ticket:  Live in Boston.” Matt was a recipient of the Dr. Margaret L. Bauman Award of Excellence in 2005 and the Council of Exceptional Children Award in 2008.

As in the case with each of his albums, a portion of the proceeds is donated to autism research and support. Matt has also composed a theme song for an autism organization.

Jazz Monthly.Com staff Patricia Kurasz and Donna Vaupel recently met up with Matt and his mother Diane at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. Matt was in the city to perform with John and Tom Pizzarelli and to receive an award for his music from the McCarton School. Matt is a delightful young man whose enthusiasm and love of music shines through. Looking ahead, Matt plans to continue performing and composing music and will attend Berklee College of Music this fall.

Matt Savage came into the world with extraordinary abilities and extraordinary needs. With guidance and support from his family and mentors, Matt has used his own gifts and passions to make an impact on the music world.  While unlocking the door to his own genius, he has fostered a better understanding for us all. Matt’s website (www.savagerecords.com) carries the phrase “where genius and joy make a quantum leap”. Matt Savage gives life to the future of Jazz, with many, many opportunities to shape jazz as we know it and allow us to continue to discover and enjoy Jazz in the years ahead!

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