We were lucky to catch up with Matt DeMaria recently and have shared our conversation below.

Matt, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

My first professional job was a dream AND a trial by fire. I had been hired as the music director for the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent, a show I had idolized since childhood. The path to that piano bench felt almost serendipitous. But no amount of admiration for the material could have prepared me for what was waiting on the road.

I joined the production in its second year. The cast and band had already formed their bonds, their rhythms, their shorthand. I was the outsider. And not just socially. At 25 years their junior, I was now tasked with leading a seasoned band of musicians who had seen more tours than I had birthdays.

Being a music director isn’t just about interpreting score and tempo; it’s about management. Of personalities, egos, logistics, and energy, especially on the road. At first, I chose a friendly, democratic approach. I wanted to be liked. I wanted to earn trust. But that vulnerability became an opening. The band pushed back. The drummer blatantly disregarded my tempos…once speeding through the show so quickly we shaved off four full minutes. The bassist shouted at me during soundcheck when I made a basic organizational request. Some cast members lodged complaints with the stage manager in what felt like an attempt to sabotage my position. I’d return to my hotel most nights exhausted, demoralized, and often in tears, replaying every interaction, searching for answers. But no matter how I tried to adjust, I never quite found my footing.

Eventually, I left the tour. I carried those bruises with me, but I also carried the lessons. Over the next few years, I applied what I had learned in smaller, local jobs taking time to recalibrate my leadership style and rebuild my confidence.

Then, a few years later, I got the call to return. This time as music director for the 25th Anniversary Tour of Rent. I walked in with the same love for the show, but a very different presence. I led with kindness, but I made it clear: when it came to the music department, my decisions were final. I didn’t need to raise my voice to assert authority, I just needed to own it. And that made all the difference.

That second run became a turning point. Not just in my career, but in how I see myself as a leader. The first tour taught me how not to lead. The second showed me how powerful it can be when you lead with both compassion and clarity. It’s a balance I’ll strive for in every project from here on out.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Matt. A Chilean-American composer, music director, and theatre-maker with a deep-rooted love for stories that challenge, uplift, and connect. My work lives at the intersection of heart and innovation, and while I move through many corners of the creative world, at my core, I’m someone who believes in the transformative power of storytelling…especially when it’s told through music.

My journey started the way it often does: with a spark in childhood. My father played the Hair soundtrack on a bootleg cassette in the car. He introduced me to Little Shop of Horrors on a worn-out VHS, and sat beside me in the audience the first time I saw Phantom of the Opera, which quickly became my first theatrical obsession. Meanwhile, my mom was busy filling my ears with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and The Beatles. Between the rock records and cast recordings, I found my compass.

As I grew, I moved from performer to music director, from collaborator to leader, and eventually to composer and playwright. One of the most defining chapters of my early career was serving as the music director for both the 20th and 25th Anniversary Tours of Rent, a show that helped shape not only my artistry, but my understanding of what theatre could mean to people. On the road, in the rehearsal room, and behind the piano, I found my voice. And more importantly, I found my purpose.

Today, I devote much of my energy to creating original musicals and leading my company, Dead Star Theatre Co., alongside my friend and creative partner Alyssa Kakis. At Dead Star, we’re building the kind of theatre world we want to live in. One that uplifts individuality, breaks from outdated traditions, and makes room for every kind of artist to shine. We believe in radical kindness, bold risks, and in dreaming beyond the limitations of the current industry model.

My musical Vincent, which premiered at the 2023 New York Theater Festival, is the clearest reflection of the kind of work I want to put into the world: emotionally resonant, deeply human, and artistically fearless. It was just fully staged at Long Island University, where it sold out its run and we’re now running a Kickstarter campaign to bring a cast recording to life!

What sets my work apart isn’t just the music or the stories…it’s the heart behind them. I don’t create to impress. I create to move. To spark conversation. To make people, especially artists, feel seen. My process is collaborative and inclusive, and I’m not afraid to break rules in the name of authenticity. Every project I lead is designed to be a space where people can show up exactly as they are.

What I’m proudest of isn’t a resume line or a glowing review. It’s the community I’ve helped build. It’s the messages from artists who tell me they finally felt like they belonged. That’s the legacy I care about…and I’m just getting started.

If you’re just discovering my work, here’s what I hope you’ll take with you: I believe theatre should be brave, beautiful, and boundary-breaking. I believe in the weirdos, the underdogs, the ones who never fit the mold. And I believe that when we lead with empathy, artistry, and bold intention, we create work that doesn’t just entertain. It matters.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I remember reading Kevin Smith’s Tough Shit at a time when I was deep in the trenches of self-doubt. The kind of doubt that makes you question whether you’re really an artist, or just someone pretending to be one until someone finds out. I had projects, ideas, a résumé that was slowly growing… but still, I felt like I needed someone else’s permission to claim that title. I was waiting for a sign, an award, a nod from the universe.

Then I hit this section in the book where Kevin breaks it all down in his blunt, funny, unapologetic way. He basically says: if you say you’re a filmmaker, then guess what? You’re a filmmaker. That’s it. No secret handshake, no panel of judges. It’s not about the budget, the scope, or whether Hollywood returns your calls. If you make stuff and believe in your voice, you’re in. That idea shook me. Not because it was groundbreaking, but because it was freeing.

And then he said something else that stuck with me even harder: Surround yourself with people who say “Why not?” instead of “Why?” That hit home. I started to think about how many ideas I had hesitated on or abandoned because someone raised an eyebrow, asked “Why would you do that?”, or made me feel like I was reaching too far. And I realized…those aren’t the people who help you grow. The “Why not?” people are the ones who fuel your fire. They’re the ones who hear your craziest idea and say, “Okay, how can we make it happen?”

That book didn’t just push me to call myself an artist, it reminded me to protect that identity. To choose my collaborators wisely. To find the people who don’t need to be convinced that you belong in the room, because they already see you there.

Since then, I’ve carried that with me in every room I walk into, every show I build, every team I lead. Being an artist isn’t about waiting. It’s about declaring. And once you do, everything starts moving forward. Not because someone handed you the title, but because you claimed it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist isn’t just the act of creating…it’s what happens after. It’s the connection that art makes possible.

When Vincent went up at Long Island University, I was incredibly proud. Yes, proud of myself…but more than that, proud to be surrounded by some of the most passionate, generous, and talented people I’ve ever worked with. They poured their hearts and souls into that show. But at the end of the day, it’s still just a musical. A story set to music, meant to make you think and maybe feel a little less alone.

Then, on closing night, we got an email.

It was full of kind words about the cast, the musicians, the design…all the things you hope people notice. But it was the last paragraph that stopped me cold:

“Sadly, my husband and I lost our beautiful, sweet daughter over 7 years ago to suicide after her struggles with mental illness for 15 years. She was a wonderful artist and very kind, caring person. She was also an excellent writer and left behind many great poems. Your play and the performance of the cast spoke volumes to us.
We thank you for being the voice to get this subject matter out to the masses, as well as to increase awareness, greater understanding, reflection, acceptance, and inclusion.”
That’s when it truly hit me. How much bigger this all is than just a show. It wasn’t about what I created as much as how this specific cast and crew brought it to life. Their work gave that story meaning. They created something that could reach into someone’s pain and offer a moment of comfort, of recognition, of healing.

That’s the most rewarding part of being an artist: knowing that something we make together can matter deeply to someone we may never even meet. And that’s why it means so much to me to preserve this version. To capture it forever, not just for the sake of the art, but because of what it gave to the people who needed it.

That’s the magic of this work. And that’s why I keep doing it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mattdemariamusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_matt_demaria/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvDNf2Dz2N2EHi3hJ4F0Bnw
• Other: http://kck.st/4jLw6fF

Image Credits

@wavelightphotography
Alexandria Nance