Matt Bell was born and raised on Whidbey, and after being off the island for a few years, he decided this was where he wanted to live and raise a family. Many people who have been on Whidbey for a few years recognize him as someone who was involved in Whidbey Children’s Theater and was a member of Slap Happy, a local quartet of young men who did many performances on Whidbey that showed off their musical skills and made audiences smile and laugh.
Matt’s musical background is quite diverse. He got a Bachelor’s degree in Music from Western Washington University and received a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Central Washington University. He also did Musical Theater Writing at New York University Graduate School. In 2015, he traveled to Korea and taught English there for a year.
He and his Slap Happy buddies, Gabe Harshman, Cameron Grey and Mark Karand sang regularly at Whidbey events from 2005 until 2012, when Mark left to go back east to attend school and later became a teacher.
On Whidbey, Matt has been involved in several groups and activities, besides Slap Happy. He became the Music Director at the Whidbey Children’s Theater with Rose Woods for six years. He performed with Bekah Bee Zachritz and Anna Dunn Wilder, created his own band, and was known for being skilled on guitar, piano and percussion.
After doing many musical things and wanting to make a career to support his growing family on Whidbey, he realized that he loved teaching as well as being involved in the local community event scene. A friend suggested Matt would do well as a wedding DJ.
The idea of creating a DJ business really resonated with Matt. In August, 2022, Matt invested in a lot of professional equipment. He began giving out business cards and talking with folks about his abilities. He notes: “I have professional equipment, knowledge and experience; I know how to do professional dance lighting and I am able to plan all aspects of putting a successful event together.”
He is now building his business as DJ Matt Bell; promoting abilities and experience planning weddings, parties, and other events on Whidbey. Sometimes off-island as well.
For more information about the range of events he plans, visit his website: www.djmattbell.com. He offers event packages, and you can contact Matt to get more information about how he can help you plan an event at: mattbell.dj@gmail.com.
Matt adds: “I love being able to facilitate the perfect experience for my clients. Making people happy brings me a lot of joy..”
