In this year’s Valentine’s serenades, you may have heard Matthew Edgar’s majestic voice. He has been singing since freshman year and said that “it has always been a talent” but he’s been “trying to develop it into a skill.”

His voice is not his only instrument; he has also played alto saxophone for eight years.

 “I fell in love with it because I love the freedom and the expression you can get, the emotions you can put through music,” Edgar said.  

Growing up, Edgar was constantly surrounded by various genres of music, which is what inspired him to begin playing an instrument of his own. 

“My mom put on a lot of swing and jazz, so I was exposed to it when I was younger,” said Edgar.  “I started playing saxophone because I thought it would be cool.”

Not only was he exposed to music at home, but was also given the opportunity to play at school. 

“They asked everyone in class if they wanted to try doing band in elementary school and I just kept with it.”

He also has a passion for going on stage and performing. One of his favorite aspects after his performances is receiving feedback from others.

“Being up on stage for me, there’s no feeling like it. It’s so fun to perform my heart out and if people enjoy it, that’s even better.” 

Outside of his artistic talents, Edgar enjoys running in his free time. 

“It’s really a mental sport. You can just push yourself as hard as you want to,” said Edgar. “I enjoy working hard and seeing that kind of improvement.”

After high school, Edgar plans to attend the University of California, Irvine. He wants to major in mechanical engineering and possibly minor in music, but he says “that might change because I really enjoy music so I might pursue a career in music.”