We had the good fortune of connecting with Matthew Umphreys and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Matthew, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
It’s tricky when you’re an artist to separate ‘work’ and ‘life’- it feels like making music is always supposed to be fulfilling because it’s your passion. But sometimes it really is just work! Early in my career I felt the need to take any gig that came my way in order to build my network and not have gaps in paychecks- no PTO when you’re a gig worker!

Over the years I have really had to learn to set boundaries and develop some non-music hobbies (for me: yoga, baking, riding roller coasters) in order to find a little balance. There are certainly still busy periods, but I’m much more proactive in marking off evenings/days/weekends where I do not schedule anything and really stick to it. It’s the only way to make sure this career is sustainable.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am grateful to have had an encouraging piano teacher and family who was very supportive of me choosing music as a career. I have never been very particular about the genre of music, it’s the collaboration and the process of working with other musicians to create something exciting that I am drawn to. This has led me to work in a wide variety of styles of music in my career, often at the same time. Even in high school I was already splitting my non-schoolwork hours between classical music, musical theater rehearsals, and playing in church. This is (amazingly to me) still the bulk of the music I get to make as an adult. I’ve also always been drawn to creating new music, whether it’s inventing a new arrangement of a Gershwin standard for a Queen City Cabaret performance or helping to workshop a new contemporary work with Cincinnati Opera.

There’s been a few times when I have lost the passion for what I do. I even took a ‘piano sabbatical’ one fall a couple of years ago, which was a great refresher (as was, in a more complicated way, the forced sabbatical most performers experienced in the early months of the 2020 pandemic). But I’ve learned that being happy in this career does not necessarily always mean being excited about each rehearsal or each gig or each piece of music you are working on, although hopefully there are enough fun and meaningful ones along the way. Rather, I think it’s about being grateful for the opportunity to be an artist for a living, finding balance and a healthy relationship with your work, and prioritizing partnerships with people who are joyful and who enjoy the process of art-making as much as the final result.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Cincinnati is such an underrated city. Classical music is thriving- check out Cincinnati Song Initiative or concert:nova for organizations bringing really approachable and interesting new concert experiences to the area. Jazz on Monday nights at Memorial Hall (or in Washington Park in the summer months) is affordable and fun, and The Carnegie in Covington is a great choice for theater. A Bakersfield visit for tacos is also a requirement!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is dedicated to my first piano teacher, Berneil Hanson. I took piano lessons from Mrs. Hanson for 12 years from age 6 until I graduated from high school- I later realized it was rather unusual to not bounce around to different teachers. She instilled in me the idea of music being a collaborative activity, and she really believed that a good pianist should be able to play in any style, not just classical music. Berneil taught me extremely practical skills which I have been able to turn into a whole career as a collaborative pianist and music director, and she showed me how to have a positive relationship with making music and performing. For that I am forever grateful.

Website: https://www.matthewumphreys.com

Instagram: @matthewumphreys

Other: https://www.queencitycabaretcincy.com

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