NAMM Foundation Scholarship Winner Matt Subers Reflects on His Career Journey
The Lamond GenNext Award (formerly The NAMM President’s Innovation Award) honors college students who demonstrate excellence in music and are interested in pursuing a career in music, sound, and event technology.
Matt Subers, former Millersville University student, and current sales engineer at Sweetwater Sound received the award in 2018 and considered attending The NAMM Show as “an amazing and important experience for the young industry professional.”
We recently followed up with Matt to discuss his experiences as a student and in the industry.
Q: Please provide some background for our readers. Where did you grow up? Go to school? What did you study? Where do you work now? What is your position?
I grew up in the greater Philadelphia area in a town called Glenmoore, and ended up going to Millersville University of Pennsylvania where I got my Bachelor of Science in Music Industry with a Concentration in Management. I currently work at Sweetwater Sound as a Sales Engineer.
Q: What inspired you to consider a career in the music industry? Were there any hurdles you had to overcome? If so, how did you overcome them?
Music has been a huge part of my life ever since I was young. I started playing the guitar when I was 12, and practiced/played every day since then until the present. As I got older my passion for playing and making music made it obvious that is what I had to pursue. There were definitely hurdles to overcome, one of the biggest being that it isn’t always obvious what path makes the most sense when you are pursuing a career in music. I overcame that by choosing a path that let me explore the different avenues of the music industry, and let me narrow it down until I landed in the music products industry.
Q: Can you share some insights of receiving the PIA award (now the Lamond GenNext award)? How did it impact your life?
Receiving the President’s Innovation Award was a pivotal moment for me. It is what really opened my eyes to the music industry in a new way that I could have never imagined. Just seeing all the manufacturers, influencers, musicians, etc. gathered in one place, and the sheer size and passion was incredible. Being there as an award recipient opened a lot of doors in regards to speaking with different company representatives and getting to meet the NAMM President Joe Lamond during my trip.
Q:You have graduated and are now working in the music industry. What is the value of attending The NAMM Show as a college student?
The value of that first trip to NAMM when I was a student cannot be overstated. I have made it a point to be back every show since to continue to stay connected and see all the latest and greatest products in the industry. Being there as a college student really lets you see the music industry in a different way, and allows you to share your passion with industry veterans and companies that you love. NAMM truly gives you an exposure to the music industry that nowhere else could.
Q:Do you have any advice or words of wisdom for other college students considering a career in the creative industries?
My words of advice to college students would be to follow your passion and share your passion with as many people as you can. When industry professionals and peers see the fire, you have for the music industry or any creative industry, they see the potential that comes along with that and are almost always open to a conversation. Just simply talking/reaching out to the people who are doing what you want to do is a powerful tool to find out how people get where they are and to network as well.
Q: What is your vision for your future?
My vision for my future includes helping as many people find their place in the music industry and making a positive impact on people’s lives as I can. Sweetwater has been amazing because I have the privilege of communicating with hundreds of musicians and pro-audio professionals across the country/the world daily and helping them find the products that will best serve their needs. I would like to always keep that as part of the core of what I am doing in the future. It really can be boiled down to helping other musicians and industry professionals make progress towards their own goals while sharing the knowledge I have accrued over the years.
“Being part of GenNext was a great stride towards my career goals and gave me the experience of being part of the music industry. Connecting to my fellow college peers was another experience that is invaluable in my experience, because we as a group are the future of the music industry.”
Each year, 2,500 college students attend The NAMM Show and participate in the GenNext program. It's where access meets opportunity for students to connect with industry pros and explore having a career in music.
