Born and raised in Cape Breton, Bobby Matheson is a self-taught singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with a background in film, video, and television production. A self-described “Jack of All Trades”, Bobby had made a name for himself working various events and festivals before joining Symphony Nova Scotia on its 40th anniversary tour as a stagehand and driver. He is excited to join the team at Symphony Nova Scotia in a more permanent capacity as their Assistant Production Manager.

Q&A WITH BOBBY

Do you have any other jobs/volunteer jobs?
I play several different roles for various events, festivals, concerts, and theatre companies throughout the province. I can easily jump between audio tech, stagehand, load crew, site crew, and more. I also occasionally take commissions for custom songs; writing, recording, mixing, and mastering tailor-made songs for interested parties.

Do you play an instrument? I play a few different instruments, at different degrees of proficiency. My main instruments would probably be guitar and accordion, but I also dabble with banjo, mandolin, bass, ukulele, piano, synth, and more. I’m currently trying to learn to play the drums, violin, and trumpet.

What are your outside interests?
I’m an avid collector of hobbies. I enjoy learning new things and take every opportunity I find to learn and develop new skills. Whenever I have some down time, I tend to find myself taking online courses or watching tutorials on anything from animation or audio production to puppet building and baking. I like to take part in online songwriting competitions and have been doing so for nearly 16 years.

What are your favourite music groups?
I’ve got a wide range of musical interests that span from pop, rock, and punk to country, classical, and showtunes. If I had to build a top five, it would probably include They Might Be Giants, The Tom Fun Orchestra, The Mountain Goats, Tom Waits, and Jonathan Coulton.