Matt Poirier wasn't always sure how his two biggest interests would lead to a career. Growing up near Pittsburgh, "music was my main interest. Technology was my secondary interest, and trying to figure out how I was gonna turn that into a career was pretty confusing to me," he recalls. Like many high school seniors exploring their options, he visited colleges in search of music education programs.

His visits helped clarify that his true passion lay more specifically at the intersection of music and technology. This realization prompted further searching once he returned home. It was his dad, Googling nearby options, who discovered that PennWest California (then Cal U) was launching a brand-new Commercial Music Technology (CMT) program. A campus visit sealed the deal. After hearing program director Dr. Yugo Ikach speak, Matt felt an undeniable pull: "There was nothing in this world that was gonna prevent me from going after that."

He enrolled as part of the very first CMT cohort, an experience he describes as feeling like they were all "working on this thing together." The faculty provided foundational knowledge and invaluable real-world opportunities. Matt remembers Dr. Ikach pushing him, trusting him to record orchestras and handle live sound for theater productions, sometimes "a little bit before I really knew how to do those things." This trust came with a challenge: "‘you got this, but there's no safety net, so go figure it out.’ When I think back on my time in school, that was probably the most important thing."

This blend of support and learn-by-doing prepared Matt for the demanding audio industry. After graduation in 2014, he pursued an internship at Miner Street Recordings in Philadelphia, eventually becoming head engineer. Now a freelancer, his days involve collaborating with artists, translating abstract ideas into tangible sound. "They might want it to sound like the ocean or this should feel like a dream. And trying to apply that to technical things—like which microphone does that mean? Which guitar do you mean?—it never gets old. It's so much fun." His dedication culminated in a Grammy Award for Engineering on Rectangles and Circumstance by Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion, an achievement he shares with friends and collaborators. "A Grammy is pretty universal," he notes. "It just sort of is like, cool you... have been acknowledged... that you are pretty good at this thing."

Matt’s journey highlights how finding the right program, guided by supportive faculty who provide hands-on challenges, can turn passion into a successful, rewarding, and even award-winning career. PennWest continues to foster this environment, offering programs like Commercial Music Technology where students gain the skills and experience to make their mark on the world.