PhD Composer teaching Music Theory, Composition, and Orchestration, to Intermediate and Advanced Levels

Matthew is an incredibly attentive, knowledgeable, and helpful teacher who is very sensitive to the students' needs and willing to meet them where they are. I have particularly benefited from his guidance on the technical aspects of composition and idiomatic writing for string instruments in both group composition sessions and one-on-one lessons. Highly recommended!

I’ve known Mathew 10 years now, as a fellow instructor at Northwestern University, a PhD colleague and a composer, whose work I admire greatly. Mathew is a charismatic and devoted teacher who always gives 100%. He is knowledgeable in different disciplines within the arts, different musical genres, he is generous, kind, and his multifaceted approach to music-making is a gift to all.

It is very clear that Dr. Arrellin cares a lot about his students. Having little to no background in music theory, I asked an inordinate amount of questions, but he always took the time to sincerely answer each one until I had reached a new understanding. I never felt condescended to — I knew that I could trust him. His dry sense of humor kept our classes very engaging, and he could always find interesting ways to present the material. Any student would be happy to have him as a teacher!

Had him for freshman year Music Theory, he was awesome! My favorite class that year. Explains things well and is a very engaging teacher!

I have attended several of Mathew's group composition sessions. Whatever style of music I bring, his knowledgeable and creative feedback always makes me think about how to improve it. He does this with a friendly and approachable manner. I have always felt comfortable raising any music question with him. He both enables and encourages learning.

I’ve attended several of Mathew’s composition masterclasses, and have learned a lot about writing for the cello thanks to his experience and clear advice. I really enjoy his teaching style—he covers the core concepts in a way that makes them easy to understand, while also pushing us to experiment and try new techniques. His guidance has definitely helped me grow as a composer.

I've had several sessions with Mathew, and he's been extremely helpful in highlighting not only what works well in my composing, but also what my blind-spots and development areas are. This has been so valuable in my journey as a composer.