Matthew Altmire received his BA and MM from the University of California at Los Angeles, where he studied with Mitchell Peters (Principal Timpani, L.A. Philharmonic). While at UCLA, he performed regularly with the UCLA Philharmonia Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble. A freelance percussionist in the Los Angeles area, he has performed with such groups as the Torrance Symphony, the Los Angeles Concert Orchestra, and Swing Inc. Mr. Altmireís drum corps experience includes 2 years with the Anaheim Velvet Knights, and 3 years with the Santa Clara Vanguard, during which time he marched with the national championship drumline and was the national runner-up in the DCI individual tenor drum competition. As an instructor, he has worked with the Velvet Knights, Pacific Crest, and is currently the percussion caption head for Yamato, a DCI drum corps that is based both in the U.S. and Japan. Matthew has also been a percussion/drumline instructor and/or arranger at several schools, including Etiwanda H.S., Long Beach City College, Riverside Community College, and UCLA. In addition to his percussive activities at Thousand Oaks HS, Mr. Altmire currently teaches percussion at Santa Monica College.