Music Director

Dr. Matthew Garrett

Contact: mgarrett@covenantweb.org

Matthew Garrett has been making music at the Church of the Covenant since he moved to Cleveland in 2009. He became a member of the church in 2011, joined the staff as Associate Music Director in 2015, and now serves as Music Director. In this role, he works with a wonderful team of colleagues to plan, organize and lead the Church of the Covenant music programs. Matthew conducts the Chancel Choir as a part of worship services and collaborative musical program with local music organizations. He also works with children and youth singers. He previously held church music positions at Presbyterian churches in Central and North Florida.

Matthew is also Professor of Music Education, Coordinator of Undergraduate Studies in Music, and Director of the University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education at Case Western Reserve University. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education, cum laude, and a Ph.D. in Choral Music Education and Conducting from Florida State University. He earned a Master of Music degree in Conducting from Boston University. Prior to his work at CWRU, Matthew was a music educator in Central Florida and Southeast Massachusetts public schools at the middle and high school levels. In addition to his public school teaching, he conducted the Handel and Haydn Society Children’s Choruses in Boston for six years.

Matthew’s academic research interests include the development and utilization of critical thinking skills in music classrooms and the exploration of LGBTQ issues in music education. He recently co-authored a book with Joshua Palkki, Honoring Trans and Gender-Expansive Students in Music Education, published by Oxford University Press. His work incorporating critical thinking strategies in choral rehearsal environments was published in a music text series from Hal Leonard and McGraw Hill Education, Voices in Concert.

Matthew has conducted festival choruses in Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Ohio. In 2009 he was the conductor at the Oregon Bach Festival, where he studied with Helmuth Rilling. An advocate for contemporary music, he has commissioned new choral music and worked with members of the Cleveland Composers Guild to perform works created by local artists. He is a member of American Choral Directors Association, College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, National Collegiate Choral Organization, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society.

Originally from Spartanburg, South Carolina, Matthew now lives in Shaker Heights with his partner, Dr. Michael Peters and their two cats, Jedi and Milo.