Matt SanGiovanni on SoundBetter

Professional guitarist, banjo player, mandolinist, and double graduate of Berklee College of Music (Guitar Performance and Music Production). Currently in NYC and playing for multiple shows On and Off-Broadway including Dear Evan Hansen, Aladdin, Chicago, and Wicked.

I've professionally made most of my living playing for Broadway shows because I have such a wide variety of musical interests and musical theatre allows you to explore all of those interests at once. Whatever type of song you send me, I can guarantee you that I have the necessary equipment to record for it and that I will love playing on it. I will do everything I can to enhance your music to your liking. I can play multiple guitar-based instruments and I am proficient at reading music as well as learning by ear.

Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.

Credits

11 Reviews

Endorse Matt SanGiovanni

by Hannah Bonnett
Matt is equally professional as he is kind. He is multi talented while equally patient and encouraging to his guitar students. Overall a wonderful teacher and artist.
by Mona Tian
We toured all over US in 2019 with the Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. He’s an incredible player and super consistent and reliable. I remember he got a pretty awful flu in one of the colder cities and his playing was not effected one bit. The show has a heavy guitar 1 part with so many solos, and I remember turning to the violist in amazement saying that Matt is able to deliver all these music perfectly while having a fever. It takes so much diligence, training, talent and professionalism to play the way Matt does. It was such a pleasure to work with him m
by Mackenzie Ellis
As Head Audio for “Dear Evan Hansen”, I had the pleasure of working with Matt for about a year and a half before the pandemic hit. He is a superbly skilled musician, calm yet creative under pressure, and a good communicator. Any engineer would have an easy day working with him.
by Steve Byun
I tried to start a band in NYC sent out a list of 16 songs to each of the 5 members and Matt showed up to the first rehearsal before everyone else, knew each of the 16 songs including the guitar solos and we were able to get some good recordings. He is a consummate professional and a really nice person. This was when I just moved to NYC. Since then, I have been watching his career take off and I tell everyone that I once played with this badass guitarist. HIRE THIS GUY! I highly recommend.
by Anthony Logan Cole
Matt has been my go to guitarist in NYC for many years. Talented, professional, and genuine, he bring years of Broadway and concert experience to any project.

I cannot recommend him enough.
by Spencer Crosswell
I have had Matt record 2 full guitar books of musicals for me, and he has been nothing but absolutely professional, pleasant, and his skill is incredible. Matt is now my first call for any guitar work I need recorded. Matt nails every style, tone, and his time is fantastic. Could not recommend a better player!
by Doug Hinrichs
Matt is THE CAT! Consummate professional and crazy-talented.
by Jay Armstrong Johnson
Matt has been my go to guitarist for the last few years. Whether in a live performance setting or in a studio session, Matt's musicality and skill are undeniable across a plethora genres - not to mention, he's just an overall good dude.
by Maria
Matt is not only a talented mixer but he is such a smart musician as well. He works so hard to create the exact sound you want, which is sometimes a challenge when as an artist you are trying to communicate your vision. I will always refer people to him to get the job done and well!
by Matthew A Rubano
I have worked with Matt both on stage and in the studio and he is exactly the kind of guitar player you want. Matt is deeply musical, unbelievably consistent, and well-versed in different genres. Possessing a supremely chill temperament, and equally comfortable on electric or acoustic guitar (and a number of other instruments)... look no further, SanG is the man.
by Sam Sultan
If you're looking for a session guitarist, in-person or virtually, Matt is simply the best.

Matt is killer across all genres and can work with traditional notation, lead sheets, chord charts, whatever you prefer.

Matt has remotely recorded multiple pieces for me on acoustic, electric, banjo, mandolin, and the sound quality is perfect, which is a major factor in today's musical climate.

Whatever you need, you're going to be very happy with Matt's work!

Interview with Matt SanGiovanni

Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: I'm skilled at reading music and at blending into an ensemble. I don't need to be the loudest or most out front player in a room but I can be if the music calls for it. I want to gel with the music and the production above all else.
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: I was Guitar 1 on the First National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen. It was really great to be in a show like that from the ground up and it led to a lot of wonderful opportunities. I'll always be grateful for my time there and the imprint that I was able to leave on the production.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: I'm working on subbing for several Broadway shows.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Matt Rubano! Best bassist in the land.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital, because we can. I don't believe in making things more difficult than they need to be when the average listener won't know or be affected by the difference.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That music isn't work.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I graduated from Berklee College of Music in 2014 and then moved to New York City to play for Broadway Shows. I spent 3 years on tour leading up to the pandemic. During the pandemic I went back to Berklee to earn my Master's in music production and since then I've returned to performing around New York City and the surrounding areas.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: I would love to just be the background guitarist for someone like Bruno Mars or Dua Lipa.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Whatever the song needs.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: I like to get a job started and finished as soon as possible. Once I've discussed it with the client, I start playing around with the track to find out how best to bring their vision to life.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: I have Apollo Twin Duo and MOTU 8Pre interfaces, a Kemper Profiler Stage, and various microphones for recording acoustic instruments and amplifiers.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: I promise to give you exactly what you're looking for.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: The freedom to work on my own schedule.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What do you want it to sound like? What instruments would you like?
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Just try to be clear about what you want.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: One of my acoustic guitars and four sets of strings.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: I'm pretty chill but willing to stand out front when I need to.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: If it sounds good, it is good.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Broadway, pop, rock, and singer-songwriter.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm inspired by anyone who manages to be successful in this industry.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I'm mostly performing live for cabarets and theatre productions while also doing remote recording at home.