Matt Moser

Loving, patient, and kind, Matt Moser lived a life rich in family, friends, and music. Though naturally quiet and stoic, Matt’s unwavering passion for music inspired all who had the honor of witnessing him play or getting to jam with him. Matt was a fantastically talented drummer who loved sharing his passion for music with others, especially his children and students, who are a huge part of his living legacy. A much-loved son, husband, father, step-father, brother, bandmate, teacher, and friend, Matt will long be remembered by those he so dearly loved.

1970 was a year marked by drama, war, and protests. Yet the beat went on. It was in this vibrant time that Rosemary and Robert “Buzz” Moser welcomed their son Matt to their family on December 19 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. A twin, Matt was born 7 minutes after his sister Rachel was born; he joked that he “kicked her out.” Matt’s dad was an attorney, and his mom a teacher for Kalamazoo Public Schools. Despite a good upbringing, Matt and Rachel were “partners in crime”. On one very occasion, these toddlers scattered their parent’s LP collection. During another adventure, they dumped all the cereal boxes on the floor and their mother made them separate them all into correct piles to clean them up.

Matt’s lifelong love of music began at an early age. As a toddler, he toted a suitcase of albums to bed. Instead of going to sleep, he would rearrange the albums. Did this prepare him for the late evening gigs?

Matt took piano lessons for many years as well as private drum lessons. One of his instructors had been a drummer for Ozzy Osbourne. Throughout high school, he continued to pursue music, and jam sessions were held in the family basement, right below Rachel’s room, of course. His maternal grandfather, although a classical musician, was a significant influence and always supported Matt’s passion for music.

Although drumming was his passion, he also enjoyed attending Michigan and Notre Dame football games, camping with friends and family at “The Property”, and taking Spring Break vacations in Florida with relatives.

After graduating from Loy Norrix High School with the class of 1989, Matt went on to the Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California, where he was neighbors with the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. When Matt learned he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma, he returned to Kalamazoo for treatment, which was a success. Matt finished his schooling at the Percussions Institute of Technology in California, where he really fit in and loved the environment. Matt had many music connections in Kalamazoo and played in many jam sessions. A talented member of the bands Playgrind and Drop 35, he mostly played heavy metal and rock. Matt’s favorite band was Iron Maiden and he was a huge Sting fan but he also embraced other genres of music..

He had a natural gift for teaching others music and, ultimately, became a drum instructor. He was particularly thrilled to share his passion for music with his children, attending concerts with them and bringing them to his shows. Braydon and Noah followed in his musical footsteps by becoming drummers and when Maia wanted to learn the Ukulele, he made sure she had a great instructor. Braydon and Noah attribute their dad for their love of music. Braydon told his father he wanted to learn to play Shepherd of Fire by Avenged Sevenfold, his father asked if he could pick any other song to learn. Together they mastered the song. Their most recent and memorable concert was King Crimson. They had great seats; of course with a perfect view of King Crimson’s drummer.

As Maia said, the love Matt has for his children is immense. His nurturing support and compassion will forever be memorable. From teaching them to ride a bike, play the drums, and drive a car; his strong mentoring abilities have helped guide them through life. Matt’s oldest child, Braydon’s first memory with his dad is going to Binder Park Zoo. Matt convinced Braydon the giraffes were not going to eat him and held him up to feed the giraffes lettuce. They traditionally posed for a picture on the giant Dodo statue each time they went. Noah and his dad made many visits to record stores and record fairs hunting for that treasured LP, and trips to The Nature Center. They enjoyed several concerts as well; including Jeff Beck, Judas Priest, and Sting. Maia, Matt’s “pumpkin” attended father and daughter dances and had daily conversations about life in general and most recently college life. Maia is appreciative of Matt’s knowledge of Algebra and his patience in helping her learn.

Life forever changed when Matt’s path crossed with Amanda, whom he’d first met at Pepper’s. After those gigs they would meet at Meijer and play aisle hockey with his friend Anthony. It was 13 years before paths crossed and then they rarely spent time apart. When they were apart, they often spoke multiple times a day. They enjoyed going to music events together, and Amanda would often go to his shows. As the pandemic hit and the band stopped playing, Matt and Amanda would go shopping every Friday looking for sports cards, going hours away to every Target and Walmart they could find. They married on October 14, 2022, which ironically fell on the 14th year they had been together. Amanda talked Matt into going to an antique shop and every anniversary after that, they stayed at the same bed and breakfast and went to antique shops to get Christmas ornaments. He would always wear the same shirt he got married in because he said “It is tradition Babe and it just feels right.” Matt was a hopeless romantic and would leave little notes, gifts, and pictures for Amanda often, and she would do the same. There is nothing that Amanda wouldn’t do for Matt and he took full advantage of it, usually with a little smirk on his face.

Always laughing and joking around with one another, Amanda always managed to get him to chuckle out loud and that wasn’t something he did often otherwise. He loved to call Amanda by her middle name “Lynette” and she would jokingly call him by his, “John.” Any other time he would call her “Honey” or “Babe” and very rarely called her Amanda. They loved Nightmare Before Christmas and always said they were like Jack and Sally because they had an “Eternal Love” and that he thought they were “Soul Mates and Simply Meant To Be.” They even have matching shirts that read “Her Jack” and “His Sally.” There wasn’t much that he wouldn’t do for her including wearing matching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer pajamas. She also managed to get him to do Diamond Painting with her, which he did happily if the subject was a drum set or Iron Maiden. He told her that it made him feel close to her. They debated for hours over coordinating costumes to wear to Halloween parties at Henderson Castle hosted by parents of one of Matt's students. Matt and Amanda were as deeply connected and in love as anyone could be and knew each other better than they knew themselves.

Known for his dry sense of humor, Matt even presented funny, unusual gifts to friends with great seriousness; always trying to one-up each other with their gifts. He rarely laughed out loud but had a sly little grin that would let you know when he found something humorous. He loved to sneak up on Amanda and scare the daylights out of her, and did so as often as possible. He loved the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers and collected hockey, basketball, football, and baseball cards. Very particular about his collection, he and his kids often shared the special family tradition of opening a box of cards. He would go into his “Man Cave” to open packs and organize his cards. He would tell everyone that it was his “Matt Time.”

The “Man Cave “ was a special place for Matt with each child watching their special shows; Braydon and Matt enjoyed Amazing Race, Pawn Stars, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and any antiquing show; Noah and Matt watched The Curse of Oak Island, The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, the Detroit Lions, college football, and hockey. Maia and her dad watched We are Here and played video games.

Matt loved dogs and enjoyed spending time with his parent's Airedales, and in-laws dog Angus. He always said that he and Amanda would get a dog but that it wasn’t the right time, just yet. Although allergic to cats and not a big fan, he was often caught petting any that wandered into the yard.

Though our days with him were far too few, every moment we shared with Matt is a gift we will long treasure. As we celebrate Matt’s life, may we find much comfort in our many treasured memories. May we also find comfort in the honor of carrying his legacy forward. Whenever we listen to our favorite tunes, attend a live show with our beloved, encourage the young people in our lives to follow their dreams, gift our talents to others, and choose kindness at every turn, we keep Matt’s memory alive and inspiring others as he so inspired each of us.

“He blew a kiss and we caught it in our hearts.”

Matthew Moser, of Kalamazoo, MI, age 54, died unexpectedly on April 6, 2025. Matt was preceded in death by his father, Buzz. Surviving are his mother, Rosemary; wife, Amanda; his children, Braydon, Maia, and Noah; step-children, Madison (Matt) Mellen and Cameron Greene; siblings, Rachel (Kevin) Truxell; and mother and father-in-law, Jeannie and Ed Nufer. Cremation has taken place. A Celebration of Life will be held in the near future. Celebrate Matt’s life online by sharing your favorite stories and photos on his dedicated webpage at BetzlerLifeStory.com. Memorial contributions may be made to The West Michigan Cancer Center and Berrien Springs Public Schools Partnership Music Intensive.