Faculty Expert
Matthew W. Hill
Curator of the Fred and Dinah Gretsch Collection of Musical Instruments, Georgia Southern University Museum
- Statesboro GA UNITED STATES
Matthew W. Hill has been a musical instrument specialist for over 30 years.
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Biography
Dr. Hill has been a musical instrument specialist for over 30 years. He has worked as a musical instrument museum curator, researcher, photographer, as well as a film music composer and Nashville session musician. His research often focuses on the connections between historical musical instruments and modern ones, such as the drum set and the electric guitar. His entire working life has been involved with musical instruments and music related jobs. If it involves music in some way, it's likely that he has done it at some point.
Areas of Expertise
Education
University of Edinburgh
Ph.D.
Music
2014University of Edinburgh
MMus
Organology
2005Edinburgh Napier University
BMus (Hons, 1st class)
Music History/Composition
2004Media Appearances
Georgia Southern researcher sheds new light on one of America's rarest Revolutionary War artifacts
Savannah Business Journal online
2026-07-23
Gretsch Collection Curator Matthew Hill, Ph.D., is accustomed to handling, researching and presenting iconic guitars and drums from the Fred and Dinah Gretsch Collection of Musical Instruments, offering insight into musical artifacts that have shaped contemporary culture. However, discovering a lost story of American Revolutionary history is a new development in his career at Georgia Southern University.
GSU researcher sheds light on rare Revolutionary War artifact
Coastal Courier online
2026-07-23
Gretsch Collection Curator Matthew Hill, Ph.D., is accustomed to handling, researching and presenting iconic guitars and drums from the Fred and Dinah Gretsch Collection of Musical Instruments, offering insight into musical artifacts that have shaped contemporary culture. However, discovering a lost story of American Revolutionary history is a new development in his career at Georgia Southern University.
Revolutionary war drum discovered by Georgia Southern professor
WSAV tv
2026-07-22
Taking a look at What's Good today, a Georgia Southern Professor has helped uncover a remarkable piece of Revolutionary War history that was hiding in plain sight. While studying a drum in Yale University's collection, Gretsch Collection Curator Dr. Matthew Hill discovered an inscription linking it to Benjamin Clark, one of the most important military drummers of the American Revolution. Researchers say that Clark's 1781 drum is one of only a handful of authenticated Revolutionary War drums and known to exist, and it even features an early use of the motto "E Pluribus Unum."
Secrets of a Revolutionary War artifact
Statesboro Herald online
2026-07-21
Gretsch Collection Curator Matthew Hill, Ph.D., is accustomed to handling, researching and presenting iconic guitars and drums from the Fred and Dinah Gretsch Collection of Musical Instruments, offering insight into musical artifacts that have shaped contemporary culture.
Georgia Southern collection curator works with Yale University on uncovering the rich story behind a rare American artifact
Georgia Southern University online
2026-07-02
Hill had taken on a complex project, collecting and presenting information on the history of the American drumset through the analysis of French and American drums, when his friend and fellow curator, Christina Linsenmeyer, Ph.D., at Yale University’s Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments brought to his attention an American Revolutionary War drum in Yale’s collection. Together, they discussed what might be learned through closer study of the instrument to better understand its place in American history.
“Strum and Twang:” A Lecture on the Rise of the Electric Guitar
The George-Anne Media Group online
2025-11-06
Gretsch curator at the GSU Museum, Matthew W. Hill, Ph.D., discussed the history of the electric guitar and the people who contributed to its invention and popularization, such as Paul Bigsby, Leo Fender, George Beauchamp, Adolph Rickenbacker and Benjamin Miessner.
Georgia Southern to present the secret history of the electric guitar at Plant Riverside
Georgia Southern University online
2025-10-15
The College of Arts and Humanities at Georgia Southern University will host the next event in its “Moveable Feast” lecture series, featuring a discussion on an iconic American instrument. Gretsch Collection Curator Matthew W. Hill, Ph.D., will present “Strum and Twang: The Improbable Yet Inevitable Rise of the Electric Guitar Since 1750” Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. at Plant Riverside District in Savannah.
Crack Boom Bam! Georgia Southern Museum unveils new exhibit on the evolution of the drum set
Grice Connect online
2024-06-01
Spearheaded by Dr. Matthew W. Hill, the Gretsch Collection Curator of Permanent Collection, Loans, and Exhibitions at Georgia Southern University, this exhibit is a testament to the collaborative effort between academia, creativity, and musical innovation. With a distinguished background, including a PhD in organology from the University of Edinburgh, Dr. Hill's expertise promises to unravel the intricate history of this iconic musical instrument.
“Gretsch assumed, because he’s in Nashville, Chet Atkins must be into steers, cacti, and round-ups”: Behind the scenes at the new Gretsch museum
Guitar World online
2023-12-11
Situated at the Plant Riverside District in Savannah, it tells the story of the development of Gretsch as a major force in the guitar marketplace and contains some of the brand’s most prized vintage instruments. We join coordinator Aaron Phillips and curator Dr. Matthew W. Hill to find out more.
Last updated: 1/9/2024
