MATTEO VENA_bio
Prelude:
My body and soul was unleashed unto this world January 26-2006 in Toronto Canada.
Music was constant in my family and open to explore. At age 3 my curious head discovered the family piano, and soon after the guitar. At age 4 still exploring, I pulled junk from the garage and made my own drum kit from a bucket and chopsticks. I performed on the driveway for everyone walking by.
My dad noticed and it was then he introduced me to something that changed my life. A real drum kit. Then the 2 & 4 groove. I was tapping on anything within reach, I still do. I found how the drums drives music. This early form of communication and dance continues to possess me.
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Education:
I quickly enrolled into music lessons. Piano and guitar however, my soul was owned by the percussion Gods. I practiced a lot, and balancing it all while maintaining a normal childhood and a musical education. All in effort to better myself on my journey. With proper education and practice, I started hearing positive results. I was on to something.
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1- I knew I wanted to focus on drumming, and I went for higher learning. I was fortunate to become a student of Jeff Salem (Educator and session drummer).
2- By 14 I was accepted and enrolled into Berklee University of Music (Boston summer Program). I completed my Pro-Certificate Program with a 4.0 GPA. as the youngest in the program, along with 9 university credits prior to starting high school. My Berklee professors:
Skip Hadden, Yoron Israel (Dean), Jim Payne
3- My high school Mayfield Secondary School is a performing arts prep school. The finest music high school in the country. It requires students to audition for acceptance. I was granted a first-round entry. There I studied many aspects of large and small ensembles at a prep university level with theory.
4- I also spent my high school Saturdays at Humber College with the professor Steve Mancuso.
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Today:
I graduated from high school with honours in 2024. I was accepted into Berklee with a scholarship, York University with a scholarship and Humber-Guelph with a scholarship.
I decided to accept Humber because many reasons. The the focused discipline on percussions, the program shadows and shares the same curriculum as Berklee, without having to leave my city, lastly the percussion dean is Larnell Lewis.
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Ahead:
I plan to complete the Humber 4 year honours music degree. Continue to perform live and increase my contribution as a composer - drummer for the band "Chance of Reign". Our music and EP out on streaming sites.
Occasionally I'm invited to contribute as a session drummer for other artists too.
My journey continues, for this bio has no end.
Matteo
MATTEO VENA_news
“There’s a big difference between thrashing around on drums, guitar or any (instrument) as opposed to a schooled, serious approach ... where it’s not just a hobby, but what they want to do in life," Ludwig said." I always keep my eyes open for that because you never know when the next Beatles or Led Zeppelin are going to roll through.”
- William Ludwig III.
(Interview about Matteo Vena TORSTAR news Monday Dec 2nd 2019)
"Matteo Vena, definitely a young man to watch. Only early teens and hanging tough this summer in Berklee’s Rock Drums. He possesses potential of the highest order and am looking for him to BE..." - - - Skip Hadden.
Professor at Berklee College of Music (Boston)
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"Matteo Vena is definitely an up-and-coming drummer. I taught him R&B/Funk
Drums course for Berklee College of Music and he showed lots of creativity and
spark in his playing. He's a dedicated musician and I expect that the music world
will hear about him in the near future".
- Jim Payne. Legendary funk drummer
and Professor at Berklee College of Music (Boston)
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