Matthew Kaminski (musician)

Matthew Kaminski is the organist for the Atlanta Braves baseball team.[1] He is known internationally for his use of Twitter to interact with fans to select walk-on music for members of the opposing teams.[2][3][4] The BBC News featured Kaminski's use of social media to crowdsource ideas for amusing or pointed walkup songs, and Sports Illustrated accused him of "expertly trolling" with his musical choices.[5][6]

Matthew Kaminski
EducationGeorgia State University B.Mu 2001, M.Mu 2011
OccupationMusician
Known forOrganist for Atlanta Braves

Early life and education

Matthew Kaminski grew up in Chicago, in a Polish-American family and began playing the Hammond organ at age five.[7] His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather all played the accordion.[7] He studied piano at the University of Arizona jazz studies program then moved to Atlanta where he graduated from Georgia State University in 2000 with a bachelors of Music and an emphasis in Jazz Studies. He received the Master's degree of Music from Georgia State University in 2011 while working for the Braves.[8][9]

Baseball organist

Matthew Kaminski was selected as organist for the Atlanta Braves in 2009.[10] In an interview with Atlanta's NPR affiliate, Kaminski introduced his album, Stadium Organ Sounds.[11] National Public Radio, Washington correspondent, Todd Zwillich, featured Kaminski in The Takeaway in his series, Ballpark Figures: The Unsung Heroes of Baseball in 2015.[12] In 2019 he released Baseball Organ in Hi-Fi.

Kaminski is also the University of Georgia baseball organist playing at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia for the Bulldogs, and for the Auburn University Tigers at Plainsman Park.[13]

Performer and educator

Kaminski sings, plays piano, and accordion in polka bands.[14]Matthew Kaminski is a member of the Latin Salsa orchestra Orquesta MaCuba, the Western swing band Back in the Saddle, and leads the Georgia Polka Band.[15] Matthew Kaminski is a Hammond Organ/Leslie Speaker Artist and is highlighted at the instrument maker's website as representing a passion for playing the organ.[16] He performs regularly on the Hammond Organ SK1, SK2 and uses Leslie 21 System speakers. Kaminski teaches at The North Fulton School of Music’s Atlanta locations and has taught applied jazz piano at Georgia Tech.

Discography
  • Taking My Time (Chicken Coup, 2010)
  • Swingin' on the New Hammond (Chicken Coup, 2013)
  • Live at Churchill Grounds (Chicken Coup, 2016)

References
  1. "Meet the Atlanta Braves' ballpark maestro". Atlanta Magazine. 2016-04-04. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  2. Kroth, Maya (2018-09-14). "Braves Organist Gets Creative With Visitors' Walk-Up Songs". WBUR. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  3. Hardle, Ann (June 29, 2014). "Braves Organist Keeps Games Humming Along". The Atlanta Constitution. p. B5. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  4. Graitcer, Philip (2010-07-09). "Baseball Organist Keeps Tradition Alive With Twitter". NPR.org. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  5. "Baseball organist crowdsources music requests". BBC News. 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  6. Tayler, Jon (2018-04-04). "Braves taunt Harper with "Go Cubs Go," "New York, New York"". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  7. Hiskey, Michelle (August 8, 2010). "Braves Organist, striking a chord". Atlanta Constitution. pp. C1, C5. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  8. "Matthew Kaminski". Summit Records. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  9. Leroux, Ricky (April 22, 2017). "Braves organist keeps fans guessing". Marietta Daily Journal. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  10. "Organist's touch tickles Braves fans". ajc. 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  11. Lemley, John; Johns, Myke (2013-04-10). "Rooting for the Home Team with Organist Matt Kaminski". 90.1 FM WABE. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  12. "Todd Zwillich - New York Public Radio". WNYC. 2012-11-23. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  13. Soderstrom, Alex. "From Atlanta to Athens, organist Matthew Kaminski keeping baseball's music tradition alive". The Red & Black. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  14. Joann Vitelli, Matthew Kaminski is the music of the Atlanta Braves Atlanta Business Chronicle June 7, 2019.
  15. Matthew Kaminski
  16. "Matthew Kaminski". Hammond USA. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
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