Matt Sircely is a creative mandolinist, songwriter and independent journalist living in Port Townsend, Washington. Sircely improvises fluently, composes prolifically and is familiar with a diversity of musical traditions.

At the age of 32, versatility with the mandolin has earned Matt Sircely gigs and guest appearances with some of the finest acoustic musicians on the continent. In late 2008, Sircely performed in the debut of bass legend Buell Neidlinger's Prairie Ramblers in Washington State, and recorded electric mandolin with Kelley Breidling's classic country group Kelley and the Cowboys in a session produced by Joel Savoy in Louisiana, featuring an all-star lineup from around the country.

Earlier in 2008, Sircely recorded with Lee Stripling, Paul Anastasio and Rich Levine for Swing Cat Records in a session that featured Lee's approach to the music of his father, Charlie Stripling, Alabama's most legendary old-time fiddler. And the Seattle Gypsy jazz-inspired group Hot Club Sandwich neared its tenth anniversary, of which Sircely is a founding member, he had the honor of playing David Grisman's famed "Crusher" mandolin at an elegant private ceremony in California. Sircely also performed in various formats in groups led by rising star David Jacobs-Strain.

Sircely started as a songwriter, inspired by the history and landscape surrounding his hometown in Pennsylvania. Sircely was born to a family of journalists in a turn of the 20th century rail stop of Wycombe, Pennsylvania.

When he was about eight years old, Matt's father let him climb in the backstage scaffolding at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Matt left with the impression that music could become a career. Soon, Matt found his mother's vinyl relics, left over from her days as a college radio DJ during the folk revival. After his mother showed him a few guitar chords, Sircely began writing songs at age thirteen.

By the time he saved enough to buy a mandolin at age 20, Matt was already working through Hamilton College as a musician playing folk, rock and blues, often with slide guitar. While studying sustainable development and the seedy secrets of global agricultural politics, Sircely traveled to Costa Rica, where he received his first formal guitar instruction from the elderly master don Serman Zunica. He then took a job community organizing in Idaho, where he found his first mandolin. Sircely proposed bringing a mandolin to his jazz improvisation class. The professor was surprised, but he agreed.

After graduating in 1998, Sircely moved back to Pennsylvania and secured a daily gig playing old-time music on the mule barges in Delaware Canal State Park. After learning old-time fiddle music, he discovered that his ancestors in western Pennsylvania had actually run a traditional dance hall in the pre-war era. Longing for some serious guidance on his mandolin technique, Sircely sought out Barry Mitterhoff for lessons in northern New Jersey.

Inspired by a few adventurous friends, Sircely realized that he could leave his hometown with little more than his instruments to street perform across the country. Suburban sprawl had rendered his home region less conducive to the simple, creative lifestyle that he sought, so Sircely packed up his F-5 and guitar to traverse the country, eventually settling in Port Townsend, WA.

On the West Coast, Sircely found swing to be standard jam fare among acoustic musicians at parties and festivals, so he quickly began to absorb the music. In 2000, he joined Hot Club Sandwich, a young band of creative individuals who shared a love of Django Reinhardt's music and the Gypsy jazz it spawned. Operating as a collective, Hot Club Sandwich also incorporates other influences that members bring into the mix, including Latin American folkloric traditions. Within two years, the group was performing at some of the early Gypsy jazz festivals to appear on the West Coast.

In 2004, Sircely teamed up with James Seward, a fellow songwriter who he previously had worked with in Pennsylvania. The two recorded First Born Son, produced by British punk rock pioneer Steve Garvey. They toured swing states, organizing voter drives, and taking their their politically-charged folk songs to independent radio stations. At one benefit in Philadelphia, Sircely met David Bromberg, who invited him to accompany him in the Concerts for Change series. Philadelphia's legendary folk DJ Gene Shay, who Sircely had listened to while growing up, also supported the duo and invited them to perform for the DJ showcase at the 2004 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance.

At the Folk Alliance, Barry Mitterhoff referred Sircely as a potential sub to clarinetist Margot Leverett and The Klezmer Mountain Boys, comprised of great New York City pickers, including Marty Confurius, Kenny Kosek and Joe Selly. Sircely performed with the Klezmer Mountain Boys, playing both klezmer and bluegrass in venues including New York's City Center and the Kentucky Performing Arts Center.

Back in Port Townsend, Sircely began to play some gigs with master banjoist and songwriter Danny Barnes, which inspired him to the core. In 2004, when he applied to the first Mandolin Symposium, David Grisman and Mike Marshall hired Matt on as a teaching assistant. Sircely assisted in arranging "Minor Swing" for a mandolin ensemble, which he directed alongside Don Stiernberg. For the 2005 Mandolin Symposium, Sircely wrote copy for the student manual and led the swing jams with Hot Club Sandwich guitarist Greg Ruby. Sircely and Ruby, guitarist Tracy Bigelow and fiddler Shelby Eicher, joined David and Samson Grisman for a swing tune in the symposium's final concert. Sircely has continued to assist with all five symposiums to date.

Recently, Sircely has been combining writing and photography with his love of music. Sircely absorbed his skills while growing up with a mother who was a writer and a photojournalist father. He published his first photo at age 12, and wrote for a variety of publications as he grew older.

In 2005, David Grisman asked him to compile the liner notes for his Tone Poets project, a historic assembly of 42 musicians, each playing Grisman's mandolin or guitar. In the same year, Sircely began contributing to the Fretboard Journal and Strings, finding deep inspiration in researching the lives and work of some his musical heroes like Wade Mainer, Andy Statman and Juan Reynoso.

In 2008, Sircely contributed an original composition to Galen Garwood's short film Ed& Ed, which first appeared at the Port Townsend Film Festival. Two of his compositions, written to accompany the poetry of the beloved James Broughton, were included in 'Letters from James,' a film by Garwood and Rowan James which was the first film to appear at the first PTFF. Entering into 2009, Sircely is continuing to hone his solo material in anticipation of his first solo release.

Matt Sircely also programs the music for the Port Townsend Farmer's Market and volunteers for the Andy Mackie Music Foundation.

Besides his solo work and performances with Hot Club Sandwich, Matt Sircely has gigged with:

David Jacobs-Strain - roots blues, modern songs and grooves

Kelley and the Cowboys - classic country, late 50s, early 60s

Buell Neidlinger and the Prairie Ramblers - buellgrass

Faith Petric - at 94, the fiery folk heroine of the Haight

Dan Hicks - w/ Hot Club Sandwich as the backing band

Danny Barnes - always fun to pick with Barnes

Margot Leverett & the Klezmer Mountain Boys - filling in for Barry Mitterhoff. Performed bluegrass in NY and klezmer in KY (vice versa too).

Shannon Saunders and the Splinters - Great Canadian songwriter

Peter Seigel - VT songwriter

James Seward - PA Songwriter

Lauren Sheehan - Portland's String Queen

Matt Sircely appeared as a guest with:

Paul Anastasio and the Fire of Tierra Caliente - playing guitar parts in the music of Juan Reynoso

Bobby Black, Mike Dowling and Joel Savoy during the 2006 Port Townsend Slide and Steel Festival

David Bromberg - accompanied him on a benefit in 'o4

Ray Bonneville - soulful, original music from Austin

David Grisman - at the 2005 mandolin symposium with Tracy Bigelow, Shelby Eicher, Sam Grisman and Greg Ruby

Jim Hinde - beloved Northwest songwriter

Kitchen Syncopators - clang bang New Orleans style

Mud Bay Jugglers - With HCS at the Fair

Jim Page - the legendary Seattle songwriter

Paperboys - convinced him to move west in '99

Pearl Django - Renowned Seattle Gypsy Jazz Band

Joey Pipia - magician/comedian

Smerdvakov Karamazov - at the Moisture Fest

Dusty Rodz and her Handsome Cowboy - "Let's put a cowgirl in the White House"

Greg Ruby - Senior Recital at Cornish College of the Arts

Members of the Savoy Family Cajun Band and Marley's Ghost - a dance at the 2005 Festival of American Fiddle Tunes

Taarka - far-out groovy Portland string thing

Taos Hum - SF jam band

Steve Webber - of the Holy Modal Rounders. His 1998 appearance on WBAI was his first in 20 years

Vagabond Opera - one of Portland's coolest bands

Vinyl - SF funk outfit

Zany Umbrella Circus - at the Country Fair

Radim Zenkl - renowned Czech mandolin innovator

Zazou - Seattle Gypsy jazz band