Matt Jasper is an eclectic young singer songwriter from Long Island, New York, who performs a variety of original pop rock songs throughout the tristate area. He has been known to stray into genres such as folk, jazz, and blues within a single performance, although he always leaves the audience entertained.

Matt was a product of the 80's middle class suburbia, and lived an early life of relative comfort. Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Thundercats were some early influences, although probably none too impressionable on his later career in music. Upon starting school, his class was looked at as the future generation of America, the future class of 2000. Who knew what was in store for those somewhat privileged youths of tomorrow?

In elementary school, Matt sang in the chorus and began playing in the band. When the instruments were introduced, he had his eye on the saxophone, although his band teacher convinced him otherwise. "You have long arms," he said, convincing the still impressionable third grader. When Matt told his mother that he'd picked the trombone, she asked him why he didn't go for the sax. "Because I have long arms," he replied confidently. "Well orangutans have long arms, and you don't see them playing the trombone" she countered. "Perhaps one day they shall," Matt thought to himself…

Matt continued in the band throughout middle and high school, in a section of trombonists that wowed the crowd, and wooed the parents. Still, he yearned for more. Upon his fourteenth birthday, Matt received his first electric guitar, a left handed Ibanez. With a few lessons under his belt, Matt began to understand the basic principles of guitar, and soon after embarked on songwriting on his own.

By his second year in high school, Matt began acting in the school's musicals, having a supporting part in the Who's Tommy. Matt found the rush of the crowd exhilarating, and soon after began acting in leads. In his junior year, he performed at the school talent show, to a packed house of 400 plus people, in his first ever live solo performance. Although the amplifier had blown, causing the guitar to cut in and out, people began took notice of his voice, thinking of him as a local celebrity. This status only increased in time. Senior year of high school brought Matt his first acoustic guitar and his first four track recorder. Matt’s debut album soon followed. In 2001 “Jasper Makes Music ” was released, of which Matt quickly sold out of his limited pressing.

After high school, Matt went to Rutgers University, where he continued his acting career for a time. Dabbling in short films, directing, and producing by his sophomore year, he formed his first band, "Red Electric," and had left the theater by junior year. He released his second solo record in 2003 called, “Thinking Back ”, and had spent much of that summer acting in a feature length movie that never came to completion, “Of Parties and Purgatory”.

Red Electric sought out rehearsal space through the school, and began an organization by and for musicians, which Matt soon became the president of. Red Electric disbanded in junior year, so Matt focused on running the Rutgers University Musicians Guild, as well as fronting his own band, aptly titled “Jasper”. In the meantime, he helped put on many local rock and hip hop shows, open mikes, and built up the Guild to over 200 members in a two year time. He became a Disc Jockey at the radio station 90.3 WVPH, the Core, under the pseudonym “DJ Tanner ”, with his two hour show, “The Full House of Rock ” airing weekly. He also began a year and a half long distance relationship with a girl at school, which became the topic for his third album, “The Distance Between.”

This time, The Distance Between was recorded with a full band sound accompanying Matt, quite a step up from his earlier, four track recordings. Professional artwork was made for the album, and by May of 2004, Matt had graduated Rutgers and released his album. Now faced with building up a following back in Long Island, Matt performed extensively, and had sold out of his pressings of The Distance Between within the next year. By summer of 2005, Matt had found a job at Samson Technologies, a major microphone and amplifier manufacturer. From the winter of 2005 until the fall of 2006, Matt hosted the Grind’s weekly Open Mike. Matt continues to perform regularly throughout New York, and is busy preparing his follow up record to the Distance Between, titled “As A Matter of Fact ” due out in Early 2007. He has put together a new record label, For The Records, which will be releasing "As A Matter Of Fact", and preparing extensive radio and touring support.

Biography