The Frost School of Music named a new dean, Matt Serletic — a former Cane and trombonist for the Palm Beach Opera and the Miami Symphony on Monday, Sept. 14.
Serletic’s new role was announced on Monday, Sept. 14, and he will be filling the vacancy left by former Dean Shelton G. Berg, who recently retired after nearly 20 years.
Although Berg has left big shoes to fill, Matt Serletic brings an impressive list of accomplishments. Serletic began his professional career in music in a band called Collective Soul, where his love for music and production developed further.
“The world is going in a different direction.” Said Serletic in an interview in 2012 with Music Connection. “You have to be involved in more of the creative process, whether that’s helping find or develop acts. A lot of that is being left to the person that’s going to roll up their sleeves and work with the artist.” Now, Serletic is rolling up his sleeves to develop the next generation of musicians.
After graduating from UM in 1994 with his Master’s, Serletic quickly started making waves in the music industry.
“In addition to earning GRAMMY Awards for Record and Album of the Year and being named Billboard Producer of the Year, he has produced recordings for acclaimed artists including Matchbox Twenty, Santana, Rob Thomas and Willie Nelson,” wrote Joseph J. Echevarria and Joel H. Samuels in the newsletter sent to students.
Since 2018, Serletic has also been a member of the Frost School Dean’s Advisory Committee.
As part of the advisory, the newsletter released in celebration of Serletic’s appointment detailed how “he advised former dean Shelton G. ‘Shelly’ Berg, who recently concluded nearly two decades of leadership at the school, offering industry perspective on opportunities to integrate technology and innovation across the school’s curriculum, partnerships and facilities.”
Interestingly, Serletic’s experience extends beyond industry production. Serletic joined Amazon Music as Director of AI Innovation and Interactive Experiences in 2024.
As director, he helped pioneer how AI could elevate the music-listening experience by creating curated, recommended playlists. In doing so, Serletic combined his love for the technology that makes music accessible with the industry itself. “At Amazon Music, we will harness the power of AI and interactive technologies to create new ways for people to discover, enjoy, and interact with music.” Said Serletic in a social media post shortly after the announcement of his partnership with Amazon.
Now, at UM, the biggest hope is that he will bring his modern, innovative approach to the classroom.
The future is bright for the Frost School of Music, especially in this new age of technological innovations on all fronts. “I come home with gratitude and a promise: the music stays first, and every student leaves the Frost School of Music with the craft, the relationships, and a way to make music for the rest of their lives.” Said Serletic. “The career a Frost School of Music student graduates into in 2036 doesn’t exist yet. I’m bringing a map, and I’m here to help the Frost School rise to its second century.”
He is a performer, a producer, an innovator, a mentor, and above all else an integral part of educating the musicians of tomorrow.