My name is Aaron Mattison,
I am a staunch advocate for young people, a philosopher, musician, maker, and a farmer.
As an advocate for young people, I have been a mentor and tutor since 2007 and believe in working with the whole student. My diverse background and experiences allow me to address issues such as boredom, learning challenges, behavioral issues, and motivation. I work with diverse subjects like math, science, writing, history, civics, music, life skills, and college and career preparation. I have worked inside public schools with the Hockinson Middle School Jazz band since 2010.
As a philosopher, I am an empiricist, an historian, and a ravenous consumer of information. I have a degree in Philosophy from the University of Puget Sound, and have made ongoing autodidactic learning a habit. I particularly enjoy learning about the intersection of biology, psychology, economics, history and politics.
As a musician, I play music daily and have performed across the country but primarily in the pacific northwest as part of jazz, rock, folk, country, theatrical, classical, and marching ensembles. In addition to studio work, I perform regularly with pop and jazz groups in Portland. I can be found on several albums available on iTunes, Spotify and Amazon. I studied music at the University of Puget Sound, with private instructors and have been playing saxophone since 1994 and trumpet since 1997.
As a maker, I studied sculpture and worked as a studio assistant at the University of Puget Sound and have been responsible for facilitating student projects and instruction in the use of tools for wood and metal fabrication. I currently build furniture and household fixtures and work mostly in aromatic cedar and hardwood.
As a farmer, I have been building a permaculture based system that emphasizes orchards and poultry. I am self-taught and am constantly experimenting and enjoying the successes and failures that come from trying to sculpt the natural world.
