Mission & Purpose

Welcome to the Music Matrix! This site has been created for performers and teachers to request customized duets and trios, or to sift through a library of pre-written duets and trios for purchase. We’ve named our site “The Music Matrix” because of the literally thousands of combinations that can be created with instruments, styles, and the connection of your and our ideas. Also, solo, small ensemble, and large ensemble music is available, all written by composers Makenzi and Christopher Johnson.

Covid-19 forced musicians to get creative with rehearsal, recording, and performance methods, and types of literature. The need to perform in smaller ensembles emerged during this time. As music educators, we realized that some pre-Covid-19 resources didn’t provide choices for the smaller ensembles. Our unique skills as experienced composers and public school educators came in handy during this time. We want to share some of our solutions with the world.

Because resources for these types of ensembles were hard to come by, even if there were available duets and trios in our libraries, we realized that this literature didn’t necessarily fit all of our students well. The public school music student varies greatly in ability, experience, passion, and interest. Some states do not allow duets at festivals and contests, so original duet literature is hard to come by. A solution emerged: to offer custom built duets and trios for students of varying abilities and interests. We realized how beneficial it was to our students to rehearse and perform these small chamber pieces. We hope this approach can continue to be helpful and educational in some way, even after these bizarre times come to an end.

Much of our curriculum is based on the large ensemble and not every student wishes to compete at festivals and contests, which is the avenue many teachers take for encouraging chamber music participation. We can offer these opportunities in more casual settings as well. By being able to order custom duets and trios, we can provide these unique performance opportunities to all students, of all levels, and of all interests.

When we get back to more normal classroom rehearsals, it will be tempting to go back to the status quo, but we hope educators will remember the benefits of the different approaches we’ve learned during the pandemic. We hope the small ensemble will continue to grow and thrive in schools. We encourage you to select some of these options with your students’ input. This is a unique opportunity for your students to interact with living composers and have a say in the music that’s written specifically for them and their friend(s).

We also have a collection of past ordered duets and trios that you can buy, without customization, at half the price of the original commission. You may also request that previously written duets be tailored for different instrument combinations for a nominal upgrade price. Please also check out our other solos, larger chamber works, and large ensemble pieces on this site.

We are public school teachers at heart. We want to serve you and your program well. Happy teaching, happy planning, and happy performing! Be well, be safe, and feel free to contact us with any questions!