ATTHEW D. FREDERES learned pipe organ technique from a Franciscan sister in elementary school, and played his first Mass at the age of twelve. Since then, studying and providing music for the Sacred Liturgy has been a significant part of his life, in service to God and the Church. Mr. Frederes continued to play the organ at Mass on a weekly basis for the next thirty-one (31) years, at various parishes in the upper-Midwest, while raising a family, starting a software development firm, and working in various capacities for Catholic apostolates. Mr. Frederes directed parish choirs and Gregorian chant Schola Cantorum for the last twenty-one years (21) of his tenure in the loft. His family was a founding member of a diocesan Traditional Latin Mass community, where he enjoyed training altar servers and occasionally assisting priests learning to say the Mass, in addition to providing music for the community. Mr. Frederes is also a licensed airplane pilot.
Mr. Frederes and his wife have twelve children (8 boys, 4 girls), whom they homeschool. The Frederes family has recently moved to the Sierra foothills of Northern California. Some of his hobbies include aviation, woodworking, photography, amateur radio, reproducing famous recipes in the kitchen, and hiking with the family among the amazing redwoods in the area. Mr. Frederes has had the privilege of long discussions with Monsignor Richard J. Schuler, and treasures the various emails he received from this famous church musician. He looks forward to writing and contributing research to the cause of restoring tradition, especially sacred music.
