Professional Achievements

Battle of the Bands Champion:

     The Matt McCallie Orchestra won the Battle of the Bands competition held at Kirkwood Brewing Station on August 6, 2016. The competition was open to all St. Louis area music acts to compete for a $500 cash prize. The event was sponsored by Patchwork Utilities with charitable proceeds supporting under privileged students in St. Louis schools to help purchase instruments for their music programs.

Top Pro Award:

     This award has been granted again in 2023 after winning in 2021 and 2022 for providing services within the top 4% of all types of vendors nationwide. This compares our services to those of every plumber, teacher, DJ, musician, mechanic, florist, driver and other type of business listed on Thumbtack. Originally awarded January 17, 2018 after booking over a dozen performances within just a few months of listing with Thumbtack in 2017 and receiving 5 star ratings with every customer review. Thanks again to our wonderful clients and their willingness to share about their experiences with our music services!

The Bash Best of Award:

     The Bash Best of 2021 Award was earned by The Matt McCallie Orchestra on January 19, 2022 for receiving reviews from our wonderful clients during the pandemic. This award was again earned in 2022 and 2023.

Best of GigSalad Award:

     As a Five-Star Talent and Top Performer, GigSalad awarded Matt McCallie these titles in 2022 and 2023. These accolades are mostly due to the kind reviews written by clients.

The Bash's Lifetime Award:

     Earned after maintaining a continuous membership for over ten years on what used to be called GigMasters, rebranded as The Bash.

Couples' Choice Award:

     Thanks to client reviews in 2015 The Matt McCallie Orchestra earned a ranking within the top 5% of all wedding vendors throughout the United States. This national recognition was a great honor judged against not just other bands, DJs, and string quartets across the U.S., but every type of wedding vendor including officiants, caterers, photographers, venues, florists, etc. across the entire country.

1st Place Southeast Alaska State Fair:

     In the summer of 2010 after a year of teaching 5th-12th grade bands, choirs, guitar, and piano classes in the Haines Borough School district Matt McCallie composed an original pop/rock song titled What's Left Of Me as an autobiographical telling of the experience and was awarded first place in the singer/songwriter competition. The competition included a live juried performance by each competitor followed by a live radio broadcast performance on the fair's main stage as the competition's winner.

1st Place Evanston Wyoming Fall Rodeo Music Competition:

     In 2008 only days after starting a new job directing orchestras and guitar at three schools in Evanston, WY Matt McCallie was encouraged by district staff to compete in the upcoming music festival. Live performances of Annie's Song by John Denver and Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton were the songs that led to victory. After accepting the first place title live performances were given with Miss Rodeo Wyoming.

Graduate Teaching Scholarship Position:

     In 2006 while completing a bachelor's degree in Professional Music at Berklee College Of Music in Boston, MA Matt McCallie was applying to multiple universities to pursue a graduate degree and licensure to teach music in public schools. The University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO awarded Matt a graduate teaching position of MUS 314 Guitar In The Classroom to university freshmen through master's degree vocal and piano music education majors based on the quality of a video of a live guitar and vocal performance audition tape.

     Within just a year and a semester Matt earned a master's degree in music with an emphasis in music education focused on vocology, completed a semester of student teaching in addition to substitute teaching various classroom courses including full orchestra, strings, concert band, wind ensembles, percussion ensembles, English, and study hall, obtained licensure in Music K-12, and achieved level 1 Orff-Schulwerk certification.