Matt Sawyer is excited to join the staff at Braswell High School as an Associate Band Director. Originally from Paris, TX, he is a saxophonist, woodwinds player, educator and clinician. Mr. Sawyer currently serves on the Board of the Texas Jazz Educators Association and is a Past President. He holds both a Masters in Music Education and MA in Teaching from Texas Woman's University, along with a Bachelors of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of North Texas.

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At UNT, he performed with the world renown One O'clock Lab Band, appearing on the live albums Live From Thailand and Live At Blues Alley, as well as the studio albums Lab 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. He had the opportunity to perform for His Majesty The King of Thailand and with jazz greats Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods and many others, and his group The Matt Sawyer Orchestra performed at the 2006 North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He has performed in groups as the opening act for Wayne Newton, Barbara Fairchild, Maroon 5, and Chick Corea, and performed and taught clinics in the US, Canada, Thailand, the Netherlands, Poland and Japan.

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Mr. Sawyer most recently taught at Paschal High School and McLean Middle School in Fort Worth for 8 years as an Associate Band Director, teaching concert band, assisting with marching band and leading the jazz program 7-12. Under his direction, Jazz Ensemble I was invited to perform at the Jazz Education Network Conference in Reno, NV and Dallas, TX. Most recently, they were a Finalist in the Charles Mingus Festival in New York and won the Mingus Spirit Award. Two students won Outstanding Soloist Awards and had the opportunity to perform in the Mingus Big Band at the Brooklyn Bowl. Paschal Jazz also were invited for clinics at TMEA and TBA Conventions in San Antonio as demonstration groups. In 2023, they were the pit orchestra for Elf The Musical and were nominated for a Betty Lynn Buckley Award, and Combo 1 was National Winner for the Mark of Excellence National Jazz Honors Project, with 4 Outstanding Soloist Awards.

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Matt, his wife Yukari, and 2 sons Hayato and Kento are excited to move to the Denton area! They enjoy spending time together with Hayato's basketball adventures and playing retro video games.

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