Matt Neufeld Music

Featured Titles

After a week of furious thunderstorms finally let up, I was inspired by the calm after the storm to write this piece.

Written for concert band level one, “After The Rain” centers around a simple melody, lush chords and orchestration, and is written to be playable by very young bands.

Available from Randall Standridge Music!

“What Remains Behind” is a lyrical exploration of grief and loss. Written for Remembrance Day, this piece has listeners feel caught up in the emotions that wash over you when dealing with a loss, and embodies the idea that “grief is love persevering”, and ends on a poignant, yet hopeful note.

“What Remains Behind” features colourful, dissonant chords, moving lyrical melodies, and interesting parts for every member of the ensemble. A perfect piece for ceremonies, festivals, or concerts.

Northern Lights depicts the shifting, shimmering aura of the Aurora Borealis, and evokes images of wildlife frolicking under the Northern Lights at nighttime. 

Graded at a 3, this piece is mostly in 5/4 time, and is highly motivic, with lots of interesting features to take the listener and the performers on a journey to the Arctic!

Available from Randall Standridge Music!

Norse mythology comes to life in this new grade 0.75 work, “Valkyrie”!

Inspired by the female figures who carry the souls of warriors to Valhalla, this piece features fun, playable lines for everyone using mostly the first 6 notes of the Bb major scale, a rhythmic motive and cluster chords, and fascinating percussion parts that culminate in umbrellas being used to simulate the sound of the wings of the horses that the Valkyrie rode.

"Stone Age" is a new grade 0.75 work for 2022. This piece features a memorable melody (that everyone gets to play), challenging-sounding but easy to play rhythms, and it only uses the first 6 notes of the concert Bb scale!

This piece is the winner of the 2023 Grand Mesa Young Band Composition Contest in the Level 0.5 Category, and is now available to purchase!

Take your band to the stars! Intergalactic Fanfare is a fast 6/8 feature for level 2.5 concert band. This exciting new piece takes you on a journey with a young starship pilot, who adventures through the stars, has a brush with danger, and pulls back into adventure by the seat of their pants!

Written for the retirement of a beloved principal, Keystone combines a joyous melody with modern harmonies and shifting time signatures, including 6/8 and 5/8 time.

You find yourself at the door of a large mansion. It’s nighttime, and you don’t remember how you got here, or even why you’re at this house in the first place. You step inside to see a long, carpeted hallway, with many large portraits covering the walls. You don’t see or hear anyone, but you can feel that there’s a party going on somewhere. As you walk down the hallway, you think you might hear music, and it’s getting louder. You open the door at the end of the hall, and step inside the ballroom...

The second movement of the Haunted Mansion Trilogy!

Empty Portraits is a lyrical grade 1.5 piece in 4/4 time in C Minor. It chronicles the journey through The Haunted Mansion, where the visitor sees a hallway filled with portraits that have figures in them…but the figures fade out of sight.

Empty Portraits teaches students to play in a lyrical style, dotted quarter - eighth note rhythm pairs, chromatic notes, and chords that have lots of colour.

This piece will be available for purchase through Grand Mesa in spring 2024.

The conclusion to the Haunted Mansion trilogy!

Midnight Waltz is a level 1.5 piece in 3/4 time (what else?). It features a typical waltz feel that gives young bands an experience with accidentals and playing long phrases. All clarinets stay below the break, and ranges are consistent with level 1.5 expectations.

The winner of the first annual Grand Mesa Composition Contest, this piece is now available from Grand Mesa Music!

Arranged for concert band Grade 2, this well-known sea shanty has been arranged to teach your band the various sixteenth note combinations in a memorable and fun way. Your students will love playing “What Shall We Do With The Drunken Sailor”, and they will grow musically as they do it.

You find yourself at the door of a large mansion. It’s nighttime, and you don’t remember how you got here, or even why you’re at this house in the first place. You step inside to see a long, carpeted hallway, with many large portraits covering the walls. You don’t see or hear anyone, but you can feel that there’s a party going on somewhere. As you walk down the hallway, you think you might hear music, and it’s getting louder. You open the door at the end of the hall, and step inside the ballroom...

This version has been adapted for strings plus percussion, and is in B minor.

I wrote Stick With It to address a gap in the percussion repertoire: beginner-level ensembles that develop snare drum fundamentals and basic rhythm skills. Each of the five movements aims to strengthen a particular skill set, and they may be performed separately or together in any combination. This suite is ideal for beginning players, methods courses, or sightreading material for more developed players!

This lush, melodic band work uses a shifting kaleidoscope of sounds that take the listener on a transformative musical journey, while always staying within reasonable ranges and technique for less advanced players.  The inspiration for this gorgeous new work comes from the Canadian composer’s favorite time of day to reflect, as the sun disappears and the evening breezes bathe the landscape.  Your students’ musicianship will be greatly enhanced by experiencing “In the Cool of Evening”, as they learn to play in a lyrical style and give direction to the music with their phrase shaping in this engaging, approachable work.

I’ve always been fascinated by plainchant, and its applications to modern band music. “Veni Emmanuel” takes the familiar Christmas carol “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”, and puts a modern twist on it. My vision of Veni Emmanuel involves shifting meter to accentuate different parts of the chant, bold fanfares, and a beautiful Renaissance-style counterpoint section played by the flutes and clarinets. I hope you enjoy Veni Emmanuel!

The winner of the first annual Grand Mesa Composition Contest, this piece is now available from Grand Mesa Music!

This was written for my two children. We call them both "Little Bear," and one night, as I was tucking them into bed, I sang them this melody. Little Bear's Lullaby evokes musical images of a warm bed, a cozy blanket, and falling asleep next to people that you love.