Matthew Bounous

Background

About Matthew Bounous

I am creative. It's in my DNA-I'm left-handed. With my left hand (and also my right), I play guitar, brew beer and spend hours in the kitchen chopping, sautéing and more. I braise short ribs and bake chocolate cheesecakes, both recipes of my own that I have perfected over time, to indulge my friends.(What male college senior does that?) I have travelled across the country to catch my favorite bands and musicians in concert and then parlayed those experiences into organizing a music festival in my hometown. Within the creative process, there are two aspects: those who create and those who evaluate creativity; I have an understanding of both. While interning with Telsey + Company, an award-winning Broadway casting company, I helped filter acting talent. Seated behind the casting directors, I was a listener-in during auditions, gaining an understanding of the solemnity and open-mindedness behind refining a production's cast. During a call for Million Dollar Quartet, an actress blew us away with her stunning voice. However, she was not cast because she lacked the acting prowess to nail the non-musical portions of the show. Through this internship, I developed the skill to recognize and evaluate not only talent but also one's creative limits. Creating a product from its initial inception is a process I have come to know well through brewing beer. With my first batch, my goal was to produce a drinkable brew. Mission accomplished. Subsequent batches showcased not only creativity but also my competitive nature: I began crafting different styles of beer with unique ingredients and choice flavor profiles, from chocolate to honey to so much more. I was competing against myself; my drive was to brew better beer. Soon after, a few friends and I founded a small beer coalition, Bad News Brewing. Five months later, our ales placed second and third in a local brewing competition. With my dual perspective of the creative process, I know I can excel in your creative department.