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
A serious toned, pulsating rhythm of marimba and whip with sustained horn and cello build to a texture of insistent strings, log and bass drum. Perfect for critical dramatic moments/reality shows when a character weighs evidence before action, or documentaries when the viewer is shown statistics. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Contemplative Music
Leonard Bernstein meets Frank Zappa meets the Flintstones. Slightly "ugly" melody and bass in a big band setting. Cool Jazz centre with piano and organ solos that combine. Good for funny, weird and "off" productions of all kinds. Yabba Dabba...don't. Instrumental, Jazz Music, Novelty Jazz
Pounding dance music with white hot buzzing synth bass and robot vocals. Occasional ambient moments contrast with the opening and rebuild to the full driving mix. Good for scenes in the club, partying, chaotic montages and lost weekends - not to mention video games with an arcade feel. Male Vocals, Dance Music, Rave
Exotic, erotic, ancient feel with mesmerizing percussion and oud beginning leading to a hypnotic melody by female vocals. The seduction builds to a large climax including brass instruments. Good for fantasy, ancient epics with Greek/Roman/Persian feel, videogames. Segments are loopable. Female Vocals, Dramatic Music, Ethereal Music
A pulsing, ambient, orchestral composition similar to the works of Philip Glass. Soaring melodic elements playfully bounce back and forth from left to right on top of a rhythmic texture of plucked low strings and insistent percussion. Builds to short blocks of confident string and brass choirs. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Tender Music
Short dramatic choral piece with full orchestral. A requiem for the dead. Good for dark, brooding, Scenes of Catholicism. Suitable for horror or horrors of war scenes. Funerals. Starts big, soars for a little while, then fades away. Male Vocals, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
An orchestral piece of many moods, from spooky and triumphant, heroic and tragic, quiet and really loud. Quiet beginning builds to huge fanfare middle, ethereal towards the end and a (SPOILER ALERT) shocking tragic conclusion. Good for adventure, fantasy, epics, tragedies, videogame cut scenes etc. Instrumental, Classical Music, Romantic Period
A short, moving and ultimately heartbreaking piece with a traditional folk/Renaissance sounding flute melody accompanied by harp and light orchestration. Somewhat in the vein of Nino Rota's music for Romeo and Juliet. First theme is mournful, second theme shows a glimmer of warmth and hope. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
Lively Renaissance era dance good for celebrations & tipping a pint or two. Winds & percussion. Happy and light Fanfare. Good for historical, adventure, fantasy, video games. Tavern and fair scenes, PBS cultural arts, museum opening, castle, kings, queens music Knights and Nobelmen. Instrumental, Classical Music, Renaissance Period
An intense orchestral piece in the style of a Hitchcock thriller. Swirling, slightly dissonant strings over throbbing basses, tympani and military snare drum with ominous swelling brass. Leads to a large climax, a "time is ticking" break followed by a variation of the opening. Sudden trick ending. Instrumental, Action Music, Action Adventure Music (pending)
Suitable for any profoundly creepy setting, this track consisting of eerily distorted celeste and piano, ghostly, shrieking strings, random thuds and the really disturbing beathing of a boys choir lets our hero know that she should really, truly not open that cellar door. But she does. BAD idea. Mixed Vocals, Horror Music, Horror Ambient Soundscapes
Great Medieval or Renaissance background music for tavern scenes, or advancing armies of knights.
Medieval ensemble of winds, percussion and indigenous strings. Both playful and serious in tone. Good for fantasy, adventure or historical productions. Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
Warm woodwind orchestration of a piece composed in authentic 12th Century style. Gradual build from bassoons to the addition of oboe and English horn at 1:11 and the flute at 2:09. Soft and serene, great for moments of quiet wisdom or beauty of the world. Ideal for history pieces, fantasy. Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
Dancing in the dark ages. Medieval ensemble plays a jigging tune with a serious edge (this clown frowns on the inside). First verse is the sparsest, 2nd adds the rolling drums, 3rd gets wild and here comes the bagpipe! Great for history, fantasy, historical, gaming. Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
Old time 70's dub reggae with a warm, mellow, happy vibe. The horn section takes the melody over a bouncing bass counterpoint. Nice and laid back. Perfect for tourism commercials, tropical juice commercials or scenes in the Caribbean...Or possibly scenes where someone is smoking pot. Instrumental, Reggae Music, Dub Reggae
Beginning with Middle Eastern sounding percussion and winds, building to a soft choral entrance and finally pushing towards a huge choral and orchestral climax. Conan the Barbarian gets seduced! Mysterious and sexy. Good for fantasy/adventure/historical/gaming/Middle Eastern settings. Mixed Vocals, 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, Classical Music, 20th Century
A jazzy, somewhat silly tune with chanted lyrics at the beginning and end: "Bow Wow Wow!" Fun for comedic productions (possibly involving dogs), Funniest Home Videos type productions or animation, or finale music for comedic clips. Jazzy, romantic comedy, sitcom bloopers canine cartoon segue etc. Male Vocals, Animal Music, Dog Themes Music
Stately and noble, slow, rhythmic courtly dancing for wind and percussion ensemble. The middle section contrasts with a Bach-like flute and guitar solo. Suitable for historic pieces, fantasy and adventure video games, scenes of ancient royalty, banquets and fairs. Instrumental, Classical Music, Baroque Period
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, Haunted Children & Nursery Rhymes
A not so friendly circus with clowns that make off-color balloon animals. A combination of comic menace with sneakiness and lightheartedness. Catchy themes and fugue middle. Alternative universe Peter and the Wolf. Great for animation, dark comedy, Tim Burton-esque material, circuses, quirky games, Instrumental, Classical Music, 20th Century
Time for a dry Manhattan with Dean Martin in your bachelor pad. Sound of the swinging sixties: a little bit Henry Mancini, a little bit Esquivel. Counterpoint melodies between groovy flute and mellow vibes at the beginning and end. Jazz guitar solo in the middle - takes you to a 70's grocery store. Instrumental, Jazz Music, Lounge Jazz
A nostalgic, bouncy instrumental somewhat reminiscent of The Beatles' "Penny Lane." Bouncy rhythm and call and response melody between french horn and piccolo trumpet. Piano, drums and cello are the rhythm section. Good for nostalgia scenes, memory montages, daydreams etc... Instrumental, Sound-Alikes Music, Beatles Soundalikes
Epic orchestra reminiscent of Night on Bald Mountain and Ride of the Valkyries. Great for scenes of war, war videogames, scenes of vast armies or war machines and historical scenes - especially Soviet and Soviet satellite related. Full, orchestra piece reminiscent of Shostakovich and Mussorgsky. Instrumental, Horror Music, Horror Classic Retro Thriller
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, Jazz Music, Orchestral 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, News Music, News Music | Openings
Dancing and drinking in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. Great for swords and sorcery/Medieval/Gothic pieces. Terrific for town/fair/tavern scenes in adventure games. Alternating quiet verses with climactic verses. Authentic 13th century harmonies and melodies. Rustic and bawdy. Medieval roadhouse. 6, Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
It's all about hockey! Driving percussion created from hockey sounds: slap shots, skating, slams into the board, sudden stops - even air horns. Rocking brass section gives the classic Hockey Night in Canada feel, but the syncopated riffing Zepplinesque melodies bring the sound into modern times. Instrumental, Sports Music, Sports Network TV Symphonic Rock
Entrance music in the grand Baroque style suitable for the royal or those with royalist pretensions.
Trumpet and kettledrum drive this fanfare. Good for any production requiring a noble, classy sounding fanfare. Great for period pieces (esp. French). Long live the king! Cue fireworks. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Regal 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, Dramatic Music, Whimsical Music
A bouncing Medieval dance with contrasting happy and serious sections. Wind driven with much Medieval style percussion. Authentic sounding Medieval melodies and harmonies. Slight build throughout to minor climax with bass trumpets at end.
Suitable for historical pieces, adventure/fantasy games. Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
For a good time in the 14th Century. Great for swords and sorcery/Medieval/Gothic pieces. Terrific for town/fair/tavern scenes in adventure games. Starts simple and mellow builds to climactic final verse Authentic 14th century harmonies and melodies. Drinking music for Ivanhoe. 6/8 time. Instrumental, Classical Music, Medieval Period
