High School
Academy
Training Tomorrow’s Top Percussionists — Today!
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Lessons
Take 1-on-1 Lessons with me as we work through a curriculum to get you dialed in for college!
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Studio Class
Monthly Studio Classes to help coach you on performing under pressure.
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College Counseling
Students and parents receive individualized College Counseling Support tailored to their post-high school plans.
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Webinars
A series of Webinars detailing percussion fundamentals, practice basics, audition strategies, and college preparation for music majors.
Meet the Team
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LA Phil - Principal Percussion
Matt Howard is the youngest Principal Percussionist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic; the same orchestra he grew up watching as a Los Angeles native. Before joining the LA Phil, he was a resident of Miami, FL where he was a Percussion Fellow with the New World Symphony under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has performed with such groups as the San Francisco Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, and Boston Ballet. He also has been a member in the National Repertory Orchestra, Verbier Festival Orchestra, and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra.
Matt attended the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music earning a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance. For his Master in Percussion Performance, he studied at the New England Conservatory in Boston. Immediately after graduating in 2015, he was offered the fellowship with the New World Symphony.
Matt also runs the Matt Howard Percussion Academy, where he maintains a teaching studio of professional percussion students. Additionally, he regularly teaches private lessons and master classes at top music colleges and conservatories around the world.
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College CounselorKelly Hedgspeth Howard has spent nearly 15 years as an expert in the selective college admission field and has strong experience working with high school students and their families. She holds a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Michigan and a Masters of Education in Mind, Brain, and Education from Harvard University. She has spent 10 years working at private, college prep schools across the US (Ohio, Virginia, and California) as a College Counselor. In addition to her role in College Counseling, she also has experience at private high schools as a Grade Level Dean, Residential Life Faculty Member, Private Music Instructor, and Athletic Coach. Additionally, she has worked on the college side as an Assistant Director of Admission at Centre College (a College That Changes Lives) and as a Seasonal Application Reader for Boston University. In these positions, she has read over a thousand undergraduate applications and has also served on scholarship review committees for premiere academic scholars and talent-based performing arts programs. Kelly truly loves collaborating with students and families and utilizing her expertise to help them navigate the exciting transition from high school to college!