Classically trained Composer Matthew Reid has an impressive background. He currently creates and performs his eclectic soundtracks live for The Second City-Toronto, resulting in many award-winning reviews. As a specialist, Matt provides live soundtracks for comedic and improv theatrical productions, and performs with comedians from SCTV, SNL, and Whose Line is it Anyway? His music is featured on The Comedy Network, The Food Network, and ESPN Classic, and with The Second City he has created soundtracks for many corporate clients.
Matthew Reid has composed music for theatrical productions for over ten years, and here is what the critics are saying:
"... consistently brilliant accompaniment"- Richard Ouzounian TORONTO STAR
“Matthew Reid adds texture and oomph to scenes with some well-placed notes”- Glenn Sumi NOW
“Matthew Reid is the master of music”- Paula Citron CLASSICAL 96.3 FM
"Nicely fitting musical accompaniment"- Brad Wheeler GLOBE AND MAIL
“Matt Reid’s improvised musical background never misses the mark”- John Terauds TORONTO STAR
"... if you are film producer and / or you are looking for some background music for one of Shakespeare's plays or something similar, well look no further." - Peter Massey GREEN MAN REVIEW
Beautiful, peaceful piano concerto melody builds to an enormous, triumphant full orchestral climax.
Ultra-romantic music in the early 20th Century Style of Mahler. Great for heroic finales, lead in to a final kiss, the hero's complete victory, or a rousing speech. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Romantic Music
9 old time suspense stingers. Some are slightly tongue in cheek, some weird an eerie. Great for retro 50's, 60's, 70's movie/TV horror/suspense/sci-fi parodies or replications. Put 'em all together and you have what sounds like an Anton Webern composition or Captain Kirk raising his eyebrows... Instrumental, Dangerous Music, Dangerous Music
9 old time suspense stingers. Some are slightly tongue in cheek, some weird an eerie. Great for retro 50's, 60's, 70's movie/TV horror/suspense/sci-fi parodies or replications. Put 'em all together and you have what sounds like an Anton Webern composition or Captain Kirk raising his eyebrows... Instrumental, Dangerous Music, Dangerous Music
A moving, haunting, romantic composition for full orchestra. Subtle, yet full and perfect for underscoring romantic scenes with dialogue. Pauses between sections to make for easy editing. Small climax toward end leading to a heartbreaking and simple conclusion. Also suitable for doomed romances. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Romantic Music
An incredibly creepy piece for harp and boy's choir joined midway by disturbing otherworldly cello effects. Ideal for film/T.V./trailer/video game atmospheres of mysterious horror, nightmares, Hallowe'en. This is the music that plays just before the "Boo!" moment. Instrumental, Horror Music, Horror Haunted Choirs
And after the battle or the long, hard day the time came to relax or take in the events of that monumental day. Mellow strings lead into brass choir with a moving melody by the solo trumpet,
A slight build brings back the strings developing the melody as the trumpet floats serenely to the conclusi, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Calm Music
Bittersweet, passionate and occasionally heartbreaking music for full orchestra. Great for romantic scenes of all kinds, melodrama, romantic tension leading to when the lead characters finally kiss. There are small pauses between some phrases making it easy to chop up into separate cues. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Romantic Music
Why didn't they leave that haunted house when they had the chance?? A terrifying sting of clustered, scraping strings, pained, ghostly choir and shocking, violent percussion. Send off the victims of your horrific imaginations in barbaric and disturbing musical style. Inspired by The Shining, Mixed Vocals, Horror Music, Horror Action Intense Music
Piece for string quartet with a late nineteenth century feel. Driven by a serious, no-nonsense yet catchy melody. Great for scenes depicting Eastern European Royalty or snobby people with no sense of humor - probably wearing a monocle, smoking a pipe and quite likely sporting a walrus mustache. Instrumental, Dangerous Music, Dark Music
Sparse, quiet, spooky and expressionistic. Mimics tears rolling down your cheek. Beautiful but occasionally jarring. Inner demons, creepy and unpleasant surroundings, hopelessness or alienation. Haunting, Avant Garde, Classical Hitchcock murder mystery, nefarious deeds, unsettling and neurotic. Instrumental, Horror Music, Horror Psychological Music
Moody, haunting, minimalistic piece for classical guitar and winds. Inspired by courtly music of the Renaissance and Pink Floyd's "The Wall." Quiet throughout coming to a lyrical, romantic guitar solo. Slightly spooky ending. Good for fantasy, gaming, dramatic, historic, relaxing moods. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
A carefree, positive piano and synth driving piece. Slightly 80's New Wave feel to it. Good for corporate shows or commercials wishing to convey good times, good news, or good performance.
The harmonic progression rises and the excitement grows. Instrumental, Pop Music, Synthpop
Welcome to Hell and then Heaven and then Hell again. Opening with driving, pulsating dissonant chords leading to apocalyptic contrapuntal melodies of of the brass section giving away to a brief viewing of eternal bliss and concluding with triumphal terror. Giant monster scene, anyone? Instrumental, Dangerous Music, Dangerous Music
A big, full orchestra, old timey, flashy, splashy Hollywood ending. Suitable for nostalgic or parody productions, i.e., 40's romantic ending, and then to the credits. This version is quieter so as to lose no dynamics. It can, however, be pumped up simply by raising the volume. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Regal Music
A medieval inspired set of variations on a theme. Starting sparse and quiet and growing to an enormous full orchestra. Suitable for fantasy adventues, historic epics and video game play/cut scenes. Solemn and Serious, will work very well as build-up music before an epic battle or during a speech. Instrumental, Action Music, Action Adventure Music (pending)
9 old time suspense stingers. Some are slightly tongue in cheek, some weird an eerie. Great for retro 50's, 60's, 70's movie/TV horror/suspense/sci-fi parodies or replications. Put 'em all together and you have what sounds like an Anton Webern composition or Captain Kirk raising his eyebrows... Instrumental, Horror Music, Horror Classic Retro Thriller
Traditional Renaissance harmonies combined with romantic chamber orchestration make this suitable for many historical eras (1500's/1910's). Good for church/religious settings, quiet moments in the kingdom. Instrumental, Classical Music, Renaissance Period
Sad compostion for full orchestra. Good for serious, tearful moments, nostalgia. Fairly sparse, builds to a small climax. Middle section is lyrical and warm contrasting with cold lonely beginning and end. Strings, winds and harp. Good as background classical music. Reminiscent of Samuel Barber. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
A quietly moving ambient composition for piano, strings and electronics. Serene, shimmering and lovely, excellent in relaxing environments or moments of reflection & inspiration. Quiet pride & comfort in one's extraordinary abilities. Instrumental, Corporate Music, Corporate Electronic Ambient Music
All around optimistic, feel good music. Slightly funky, with a sparse, groovy organ riff off the top and a "Bust A Move" bass. Brass and saxes join in at the end. Great for commercials conveying confidence or freedom, bring him on down music for corporate shows. Poppy music for winning the lottery. Instrumental, RnB Music, Groove
There's a storm coming and all hell is about to break loose. What hero will rise to the challenge? An ominous drumbeat, a lamenting choir, followed by darkly rhythmic strings and growling, momentous brass. An adrenaline filled escalation inspired by Hans Zimmer's music for the Dark Knight trilogy. Mixed Vocals, Action Music, Action Intense Orchestral
Let's face it, ghosts are smart. A terrifying cluster of high strings scrape dissonantly more a maddening length of time as your poor victim hides from inevitable horror. Perfect for scenes of intense building fear, madness and terror. Instrumental, Horror Music, Horror Psychological Music
A slow, lyrical and melancholy composition for clarinet, violin and piano. Reminds of the Gymnopedies of Erik Satie. Good for scenes of romance, re-uniting, loss, sadness or nostalgia. A rainy day in 1920's Paris. Emotional, but restrained. Originally composed for the operetta, Posey's Wig. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Calm Music
Three flutes, a violin a piano a tympani and very, very creepy. Similar in feel to the quiet orchestral cues in The Shining. Ghostly counterpoint between flutes and piano lead to an anguished violin solo and the final chords of quiet doom. Good for horror or experimental drama. Instrumental, Dangerous Music, Mysterious Music
Royal music in late Renaissance style suitable for any old time royal function.
Brass and kettledrum drive this fanfare. Good for any production requiring a noble, classy sounding fanfare. Great for period and fantasy pieces. Courtly dancing in the palace of the Bourbons. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Regal Music
A warm and tender composition created in an authentic fifteenth century style. String ensemble plays the first verse. Winds, lute and percussion join on the second verse. Both serious and exotic in tone .Great for historical pieces, esp. Medieval and early Renaissance, fantasy, videogames, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Ethereal Music
A short, sad composition reminiscent of Erik Satie.
Composed for flute and piano. Good for cinematic moments of reflection or melancholy. Suitable for background music in historical pieces, especially early 20th Century. Good music for characters to cry to.Minimal dynamic change. 3/4 time signature, Instrumental, Classical Music, 20th Century
A bittersweet orchestral piece, good for scenes of mourning, regret or doomed love. Remember how Othello felt after he murdered Desdemona? Like this. Simple, lyrical melody and late romantic harmonies, reminiscent of Mahler and Richard Strauss. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
Classic Medieval Fair music for dancing around the maypole or just prior to burning witches. Builds to a large, wild climax. Perfect for adventure/fantasy games or films, Medieval/Renaissance scenes. Add a little bit of sunshine to the Dark Ages. Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
A serious and rhythmic beginning in with cellos and bassoons leads to a warm, soaring strings and clarinets melody leading to a passionate, joyful climax. Bittersweet and romantic, reminiscent of the symphonic music of Brahms. Good for dramatic or romantic scenes and turning points from sad to glad, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Heartwarming Music
A beautiful set of musical variations inspired by the music of the Middle Ages. Quiet, sparse and expressive at the beginning and building to an enormous heroic climax with full orchestra. Great for adventure/fantasy, historical epics and video game play or cut scenes. Instrumental, Action Music, Action Adventure Music (pending)
Morning traffic meets West Side Story. Big Band/modern classical fusion. Great for urban scenes of the forties through early sixties, wild swing dancing, old time gangster or Rat Pack scenes. Also good for retro Space Age scenes a la Jetsons. Mr. Burns would dance to this. Instrumental, Cartoon Music, Cartoon Jazz
A high tech, exciting news theme - a mix of modern electronica beats and textures with a traditional brassy theme. Great for opening and closing of news shows, pumping "bring 'em down" or celebratory music for corporate events, science fiction adventure (or dance clubs). And now, the news... Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Energizing Music
A moving and expressive medieval chant of male singers accompanied by a simple repeating pattern of harp and glockenspiel. Occasionally punctuated by a quiet and somewhat spooky tam. Quiet, solemn and spiritual. Great for adventure fantasies, historical epics or video game play/cut scenes. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Ethereal Music
A fusion of a happy Dixieland stlyle jazz band off the top leads to a smoother, silkier, smarmier second theme for strings and winds. In the vein of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story. Great for nostalgia, comedy, period pieces, musical theater, dance music from an innocent age. Instrumental, Jazz Music, Orchestral Jazz
A melancholic, nostalgic and lyrical chamber work suitable for scenes of longing and sadness, but also good for scenes of hope, love and beauty. Similar to the music of Debussy, Mahler and Puccini (late/post-romantic - impressionism). Scored for piano, clarinet and violin. Triple canon ending. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Heartwarming Music
A romantic piece for solo piano, reminiscent of Brahms and Chopin. Sometimes bucolic, sometimes serious, sometimes passionate and sometimes blissful. Perfect for scenes requiring chamber music, especially dramatic, historical and romantic scenes. Good for scenes where love is the subtext or in bloom, Instrumental, Classical Music, Romantic Period
9 old time suspense stingers. Some are slightly tongue in cheek, some weird an eerie. Great for retro 50's, 60's, 70's movie/TV horror/suspense/sci-fi parodies or replications. Put 'em all together and you have what sounds like an Anton Webern composition or Captain Kirk raising his eyebrows... Instrumental, Dangerous Music, Dangerous Music
A latin-funk groove, with intelligent double entendre lyrics. Lyrics are spoken a la Issaac Hayes in Shaft. Especially good for potitcal satire.
Funky horns enter toward the end. Male Vocals, RnB Music, Latin Soul
A touching piece beginning with mournful choir accompanied by quietly plucked violas. Bass voices and plucked basses enter and echo the theme. Heartfelt bowed strings enter with passionate counterpoint between the first violins and cellos, leading to a serene, moving and quiet conclusion. Mixed Vocals, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
The grand heroes of the epic fantasy stride across the vast landscape to face the forces of evil. A hopeful and triumphant full orchestral theme inspired by the music of the Middle Ages. The King Returns! Great for grand fantasy/adventure, epic histories or video game cut scenes. Instrumental, Action Music, Action Adventure Music (pending)
Orchestral trip hop meets 80's new wave without the synths. Great for sci-fi, city at night, scenes of reflection or even competitive cooking shows! Moody, dreamy, melancholy. Ambient and percussive. Featuring plucked strings and celeste solo. Heard recently on Chopped & ESPN's 30 X 30. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
A light, warm and happy orchestral composition depicting, as the title suggests, a magical village. Happy and warm, with light strings, harp and glockenspiel. Good for tourism commercials, adventure/fantasy scenes and games. Melody is light making it ideal for background music that still moves. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Magical Music
A trippy, hallucinagenic, swirling tapestry of music consisting of a warped female voice, cello with Indian affectations, percussion, synths against the same tune occasionally played backwards. Great for fantasy, psychological thrillers, horror, drug trips and out of control moments. Female Vocals, Dangerous Music, Psychedelic Music
A jazzy, climactic full jazz orchestra ending in the Style of Leonard Bernstein for bit Hollywood nostalgic or parody production. Or for the cast is all of a sudden start Rat Pack dancing... It happens! Happy Jazz build up to a huge serious climax and an elated conclusion. Fanfare Broadway fun showy, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Happy Music
A short, serious track in the film noir style with orchestra and piano. Great for period pieces, parodies, stylistic underscores (like Chinatown or Taxi Driver). Quiet, mysterious and a little sexy. Romantic drama, edgy mystery, transitions, flashbacks, crime in progress, chilling & tense, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Calm Music
Haunting composition with a Renaissance court flair a la Pink Floyd's The Wall. Moody, mournful flute themes in the verses give way to warm, hopeful choruses. Finale chorus creates shivers with soaring brass lines, doleful ending. History mystery documentary royal kingdom medieval fantasy fairytale, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Calm Music
A sparse, serious and dramatic Gregorian plainchant over a stringed drone. Plate bells occassionally sound out a doleful chime. Male Vocals, Dramatic Music, Ethereal Music
Christmas music with a serious attitute. Variations on the haunting Sixteenth Century Coventry Carol for solo harp. The main melody goes through several rhythmic transformations, gradually getting quicker and more complicated. Great for historical/courtly pieces or holiday music that is more somber. Instrumental, Christmas Music, Christmas Guitar
A profoundly sad piano concerto's slow movement. Light orchestral accompaniment. Perfect for tearful moments of loss, loneliness, and unrequited love, funerals or credits following a tragic conclusion.
A romantic sound reminiscent of Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
