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
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, Dramatic Music, Whimsical Music
That terrifying moment when you know you're not alone in that ancient crypt full of rotting corpses. Creepy, grinding low strings, heart pounding percussion & eerie sound design combine to scare the willies out of your viewers & listeners. Somebody will die at the end of this track. Instrumental, Horror Music, Horror Chase Music
That terrifying moment when you know you're not alone in that ancient crypt full of rotting corpses. Creepy, grinding low strings, heart pounding percussion & eerie sound design combine to scare the willies out of your viewers & listeners. Somebody will die at the end of this track. Instrumental, Horror Music, Halloween Horror Music
A whimsical, fun. magical orchestral piece inspired by the Nutcracker full of tip-toeing chimney entrances and swooping, waltzing flights through Christmas Eve's night. Great for holiday specials, commercials or media involving magic or wide-eyed wonder. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Happy Music
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, World Fusion, Middle-Eastern World Fusion
A profoundly sad piano concerto's slow movement. Light orchestral accompaniment. Perfect for moments of loss, loneliness, and unrequited love, funerals or credits following a tragic conclusion. A romantic sound reminiscent of Ravel and Rachmaninoff. Reminiscent of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, Instrumental, Classical Music, 20th Century
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, Dramatic Music, Sad Music
Starting sparsely with marimba, xylophone & cello & kicking in with a full, inspiring, rhythmic texture at 0:32, this minimalist piece is excellent for depicting loyalty, friendship, courage, determination and doing the right thing. Like Orchestral Coldplay/U2, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Contemplative 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, Horror Music, Horror Edgy Music
Ambient, minimalist acoustic guitar plucking. Haunting electric slide guitar and angelic synth pads enter part way through. Great for contemplative montages or panoramic scenes of desert or plains nature. Would work for scenes lying peacefully in bed as well. Works well as background music. Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Calm Music
A shocking percussive pound followed by haunted, clustered strings & the pained voices of ghostly children. A disturbing music bus intones "The Wheels on the Bus." Perfect for scenes of horror & jump out of seat moments. Childrens Vocals, Horror Music, Horror Edgy 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, Corporate Music, Corporate RnB Music
That terrifying moment when you know you're not alone in that ancient crypt full of rotting corpses. Creepy, grinding low strings, heart pounding percussion & eerie sound design combine to scare the willies out of your viewers & listeners. Somebody will die at the end of this track. Instrumental, Horror Music, Halloween Horror 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, Classical Music, 20th Century
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, Classical Music, Romantic Period
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, Pop Music, Pop Rock
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, Comedy Music, Comedy Jazz
Vibrant, joyous orchestral loop of Moroccan percussion, Irish flutes with pulsating strings & winds. Great for exotic or fantasy locations, travel commercials, moments of getting away from it all and enjoying life. Instrumental, World Fusion, Pan-World Fusion
A whimsical, fun. magical orchestral piece inspired by the Nutcracker full of tip-toeing chimney entrances and swooping, waltzing flights through Christmas Eve's night. Great for holiday specials, commercials or media involving magic or wide-eyed wonder. Instrumental, Christmas Music, Christmas Orchestral
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 Edgy Music
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, Dramatic Music, Whimsical 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, Classical Music, Renaissance Period
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, Jazz Music, Orchestral Jazz
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, Classical Music, Romantic Period
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, Jazz Music, Novelty Jazz
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, Classical Music, 21st Century
A shimmering, rhythmic, magical piece for orchestra. Full of wondrous and soaring musical moments. Great for holiday specials, happy winter scenes, commercials or media involving magic or wide-eyed wonder. Get out your Nutcrackers! Instrumental, Christmas Music, Christmas Orchestral
A shimmering, rhythmic, magical piece for orchestra. Full of wondrous and soaring musical moments. Great for holiday specials, happy winter scenes, commercials or media involving magic or wide-eyed wonder. Get out your Nutcrackers! Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Magical Music
An original lullaby performed by a music box and based on Brahms' famous work. Would work well in any sleepy time situation with infants or small children or even adults. On the other hand it could be used in creepy horror situations as well. Hey, I'm not going to tell you how to do your job! Instrumental, Classical Music, Romantic Period
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, New Age Music, Space Music
A melancholy and expressive solo guitar composition enveloped in Renaissance flavor. Perfect for historical pieces or adventure/fantasy video game play. Instrumental, Classical Music, Renaissance Period
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, Comedy Music, Comic Song
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, Science Fiction Music, Space Disco
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, Classical Music, 20th Century
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, Dramatic Music, Whimsical Music
Beginning with a warm brass theme suggesting sunrise or a new day, the adventure soon begins. A grand, positive, heroic race to a lofty goal. A warm, rising motif by the winds & brass counterpoints effortless, quick bowing by the high strings. Exciting percussion stirs underneath. Instrumental, Action Music, Action Impending Orchestral
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, Classical Music, 20th Century
Beginning with a warm brass theme suggesting sunrise or a new day, the adventure soon begins. A grand, positive, heroic race to a lofty goal. A warm, rising motif by the winds & brass counterpoints effortless, quick bowing by the high strings. Exciting percussion stirs underneath. Instrumental, Corporate Music, Corporate Orchestral Music
Starting sparsely with marimba, xylophone & cello & kicking in with a full, inspiring, rhythmic texture at 0:32, this minimalist piece is excellent for depicting loyalty, friendship, courage, determination and doing the right thing. Like Orchestral Coldplay/U2, Instrumental, Dramatic Music, Energizing Music
A whimsical, fun. magical orchestral piece inspired by the Nutcracker full of tip-toeing chimney entrances and swooping, waltzing flights through Christmas Eve's night. Great for holiday specials, commercials or media involving magic or wide-eyed wonder. Instrumental, Christmas Music, Christmas Orchestral
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, Classical Music, 20th Century
A dizzying, terrifying chase by an unknown horror. Driving and insistent tribal rhythms with blaring, growling horns. Big and loud with a conclusion that could only mean one thing... Instrumental, Action Music, Action Intense Tribal
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, Classical Music, Renaissance Period
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, Sports Network TV Electronic
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, Classical Music, Renaissance Period
A latin-funk groove, with intelligent double entendre lyrics. This version only has the backing vocals & band. Especially good for potitcal satire.
Funky horns enter toward the end. Male Vocals, Comedy Music, Comic Song
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, Dramatic Music, Regal Music
A horrifying musical descent into something that clearly will be terrifyingly awful. Escalating, grinding, ghostly strings and a disturbing, thudding drum beat as our "hero" walks into the unknown. Inspired by music from Shining. Instrumental, Horror Music, Halloween Horror Music
