Mathew

5 (7 reviews)

Rate R1660
Response 1h
Students
Number of students Mathew has accompanied since joining Superprof
2
Number of students Mathew has accompanied since joining Superprof

5 (7 reviews)

R1660/h

Music Theory
Songwriting
Orchestration

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

Music Theory
Songwriting
Orchestration

Lesson location

- online

Super Tutor

Mathew is one of our best Music Theory tutors. High-quality profile, qualifications verified, organised and responsive to lesson requests, and appreciated by their students.

About Mathew

Mathew Arrellín is a composer, cellist, and educator based in Chicago. He received a PhD from Northwestern University in music composition and is a 2026 Guggenheim Fellow.

With a background in contemporary music and years of university-level teaching experience, he helps students build a deep understanding of music theory and composition through clear, creative, and practical instruction. Whether preparing for college, graduate studies, or personal growth, Mathew supports each student’s unique musical journey.

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About the lesson

Most people learn theory backwards. They memorize rules about what chords go where, or what notes you're "allowed" to use, without understanding why any of it matters. Then they sit down to write and none of it helps.

I teach theory from the listener's perspective first, then as a composer. We start by observing what's actually happening in the music you love—what you hear, what you don't hear, and why certain choices create the effects they do. Then we figure out how to use those observations in your own work.

The goal is to stretch simple musical ideas as far as they'll go. How does one gesture develop over time? How can it gradually modulate into something else to create form? How do you plan harmony and orchestration in ways that actually register for most ears, not just on the page?

A lot of composition teaching focuses on abstract plans that look good in the score but are basically inaudible. I'm more interested in psychoacoustics—how listeners actually experience musical time, texture, and transformation. What information are you giving them, and when? What are you withholding? How do you use that to keep the form moving forward so you don't get stuck?

We also work on orchestration and extended techniques to expand your palette. Not as a gimmick, but as a way to access sounds you're hearing in your head but don't yet know how to notate or achieve with real players.

What students have done:
-Finished pieces they'd been stuck on for months by learning how to observe what was and wasn't happening in their material
-Developed simple ideas into full-length works instead of constantly searching for "new" material
-Understood how harmonic motion actually sounds to listeners, not just how it looks on paper
-Built confidence in their own musical voice instead of imitating what they think "contemporary music" should sound like
-One student came to lessons with fragments of a string quartet and came out with a serious, 17-minute piece with complex harmonic territory previously unexplored, development of ideas, contrasts of timbre/technique/register/etc., and a sophisticated form

How lessons work:
-We spend time on your actual projects. If you're working on something, that becomes the laboratory for learning new concepts. We'll look at scores and recordings of music you're drawn to, analyze what's happening under the surface, then figure out how those techniques might serve your own musical goals.
-I assign listening and score study between lessons. Half of learning composition is training your ear to hear what other composers are doing: the structural moves, the orchestrational choices, the way ideas develop over time.

This is for you if:
-You're writing music and want to understand what you're doing at a deeper level
-You've hit a ceiling and need personalized guidance to break through
-You want theory and analysis to actually improve your composing, not just fill your head with rules
-You're tired of getting stuck halfway through pieces and want tools for developing material and building form
___
If you feel like you're not sure what direction to take to learn music theory, or if you're feeling stuck as a composer, feel free to reach out and we can chat about your goals.

You can check out one of my recent pieces for percussion quartet below if you're interested in getting a sense of what kind of composer I am.

Recommendations

Recommendations are written by the tutor's friends, family, and acquaintances.

A

Aniruddha

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!
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A
Aniruddha
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!
Niki

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.
Read more

N
Niki
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.
S

Sasha

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!
Read more

S
Sasha
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!
M

Mikaela

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

Ilse

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.

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I
Ilse
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.
K

Ken

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.
Read more

K
Ken
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.
G

Guy

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.
Read more

G
Guy
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.
See more recommendations

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5h: R8301
10h: R16601

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R1660/h

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

Lesson location

Super Tutor

About Mathew

About the lesson

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Mathew's video

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

Lesson location

Super Tutor

About Mathew

About the lesson

Recommendations

Rates

Rate

Package rates

travel

online

Mathew's video

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Individual singing lessons & vocal coaching for all ages. at your home, at our studio or web classes.

Vocal art performance graduate with cum laude, i teach singing, do vocal coaching and music theory from grade 1 till grade 5.

Qualified music teacher, offering music theory lessons with the aim of furnishing students with the knowledge and skills needed in a manner best understood at any age or level

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Receiver of berklee college of music scholarchip with 10+ years teaching experience. specialising in modern genres and focusing on vocals, piano, composition and theory. already having a netflix compo

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Benice holloway is a fun-loving and enthusiastic teacher with a ba music degree. she offers the following instrumental training: piano, recorder, and guitar.

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