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Verso University Presents: Closing the Deal: How to Get Bigger Gigs with Matt Starr
March 28 @ 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Workshop Details
Saturday, March 28, 2026, 1-3 pm (Board Room)
Learn the secrets to how professionals get those next level opportunities and build sustainable careers as professional musicians. In this interactive VersoFest workshop, you’ll learn how to meet the right people, set your rate, get over your discomfort, and get into action!
About the Instructor
Matt Starr is a career coach and professional musician. He has toured and recorded with members of KISS, Guns N’ Roses, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, and others. As a music career coach, Matt has spoken to audiences around the world at music schools and conferences.
About VersoFest 2026
VersoFest is The Westport Library’s annual music and media conference and festival where knowledge is shared and inspiration is discovered — a forum for media creators, artists, and fans to converge.
This year’s festival, our fifth, is shaping up to be the best yet, headlined by a February 27 kickoff concert by rising rock band The Thing, our March 6 VersoFest storytellers evening with Bangles co-founder Susanna Hoffs, the March 26 Verso Visionary conversation with folk-rock icon Ani DiFranco, and a special March 27 Friday night performance featuring Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, composer and Fugees co-founder Wyclef Jean.
VersoFest 2026 weekend guests include actress, author, and performer Gina Gershon; David J (Bauhaus, Love and Rockets); Adria Petty on the legacy of her dad, Tom Petty, and the legendary Heartbreakers; a VersoFest author talk with Claire Dederer on her book, Monster; a conversation with renowned music promoter Peter Shapiro (Capitol Theare, Brooklyn Bowl); an appearance by the African dance and music troupe Cumbe Dance; and an interactive art installation exhibited by award-winning, video-based artist Holly Danger.
Visit our VersoFest website to see the lineup and schedule for 2026 (with announcements on all guests coming throughout January and into February).
Important Information About Verso University Classes
- Classes are usually structured as a consecutive series.
- Class size is often limited.
- Each series has a one-time fee registration fee covering all classes in the series.
- Registration is mandatory.
- The Westport Library wants to ensure that all interested students are able to participate in Verso University courses. If the registration fee is a barrier to entry for you, please contact [email protected].
Verso University is the Library’s lifelong learning and education initiative, serving up year-round offerings of classes, workshops, and lectures designed to further education and learning. Offerings run the gamut of educational opportunities, ranging from one-time lectures to ongoing courses to classes that meet weekly or perhaps monthly.
Verso University programs are made possible by the generous support of the Nancy J. Beard Lifelong Learning and Education Fund.