Matthew Cossey

How long have you been at Nexus?

Well, I came to Nexus back in 2004 as a student and never managed to leave! Now I’m pretty much part of the furniture here and took on the running of the Piano & Keys Course in 2007.

What is your favourite part about working at Nexus?
Probably the environment: I love being around people that love God and love music. Seeing how people's lives are changed and how they grow here in so many ways is pretty awesome.

What is the one thing you would like to do before you die?
There are two things actually!  I would love to write an orchestral piece of music and hear it played live by the London Symphony Orchestra.  I would also love to perform a piece on a Steinway concert D on stage at the Royal Albert Hall!

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Lots of things… Composing, watching films, playing sport of any kind, eating!...

What are people surprised to learn about you?
That I am not too bad at art! I quite like doing pencil portraits and nearly studied graphic design instead of music.

If you could write a book, what would it be about?
Hmmm, I’ve never been asked that before! It would probably be about music; more specifically about how you can apply a lot of the theory and exercises that you learn through classical tuition in really cool and interesting ways.

What is currently on your itunes playlist?
I’m going through a slightly old school faze actually with the likes of Will Smith and some classic Michael Jackson tunes. In contrast to that I also have some Debussy and Chopin along with a fair amount of Gospel and Jazz! It’s always rather random!

In two sentences or less, how has your faith changed you?
I used to live and play for myself, relying on my own abilities. I now know that I have purpose and have been saved through Christ to live and play for God's glory!