MAKAIO's professional training began at a young age and has included the following schools and instructors of theatre, music, dance, voice and more:

• Art Linkletter Dance Studio
• Act One Studios - On-Camera
• British Americal Drama Academy (Oxford, England): Personally Trained by Sir Benjamin Kingsley (Ghandhi, Schindler's List)
• Chang's Martial Arts & Fitness: Lanre Lawanson - 6 Degree Tae Kwan Do Black Belt
• Harand Camp of the Theatre Arts
• Larry Moran - The Funny Voice Man (#1 Voice-Over in Chicago & Dynamic Dad!)
• Lou Conte Dance Studio/Hubbard Street Dance Company
• Mark Elliott - Musical Director - Candlelight Dinner Playhouse
• School of Music - DePaul University (Received Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance with Honors): Private Voice with Anne Perillo, Elizabeth Gottlieb & George Tenegal
• Theatre Northwest
• The Theatre School - DePaul University: David Avcollie & Ric Murphy (Acting Department Heads) and Phyllis Griffin (Voice Department Head)
• Voice Institute
• Weyrauch Auditorium - Mary Hafertepe - Head of Drama
• William Rush Voice Consultants: Bill Rush

MAKAIO has been performing professionally literally since he could walk and talk. Doing his first television commercial at the age of 3 for Cap’n Crunch cereal.  Since then, Matthew Has Performed On-Camera and by Voice-Over Locally and Nationally for:

• Aladdin
• Armour/Dial
• Bally’s Health Club
• Brach’s
• Cap'n Crunch
• Carson Pirie Scott & Co.
• Famous Footwear
• Favor Furniture Polish
• General Mills
• Harris Bank
• Kellogg’s
• Kraft
• Kroger
• Lennox
• Levi's 
• Libby’s
• Loyola
• McDonald’s
• Nestle
• Nylint
• Parker Brothers
• Pledge
• Quaker Oats
• Red Alert
• SBC/Ameritech
• Sears
• Sun Gas Co.
• Tonka
• United Airlines, to name a few!

Getting started in show business at a young age triggered the performance bug that had him cast in the National Touring Company of Evita (written by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice and Directed by Harold Prince) by the age of 7. Additional theatre credits include:

• Anything Goes - Billy Crocker - Weyrauch Auditorium
• Baby - Danny Hooper - Playhouse 230
• Biloxi Blues - Hennessy - Playhouse 230
• Christiana's Conquest: A Modern Adaptation of The Pilgrim’s Progress - Narrator/Dreamer(Actor, Writer & Director) - Midwest Tour
• Cinderella - Prince Charming - Gaffin Theatre
• Coming to America: The Story of Ellis Island - Tour Guide - Accent on History
• The Day Room - Man in Straightjacket/TV - The Theatre School, DePaul University
• Da Vinci Code 2: Electric Boogaloo - Kip Wilson - Only a Stranger Productions
• Don’t Drink the Water - Axel McGee - The Theatre School, DePaul University
• Escape From Freedom - MEM (Writer, Producer & Lead Actor) - ImprovOlympic
• Evita - Choir Boy/Boy Scout/Peasant Boy - National Touring Co. (Hal Prince - Director)
• Falstaff - Chorus - Merle Reskin Theatre
• Fools - Count Gregor Yousekevitch - Weyrauch Auditorium
• Fuente Ovejuna - Ortufio/Fernando Gomez de Guzman, Commander of the Order of Calatrava - The Theatre School, DePaul University
• Godspell - John the Baptist/Judas Iscariot - Playhouse 230
• Guys & Dolls - Nathan Detroit - Gaffin Theatre
• Hansel & Gretel - Hansel - Chicago Kids Company
• The Hobbit - Thorin: Leader of the Dwarves - Weyrauch Auditorium
• Ice Wolf - Lead Indian Drummer (Performer, Percussion Director, Percussion Composer) - Merle Reskin Theatre
• ImProverbs - Host/MC - Stomping Grounds Theatre
• The Master and the Cat - The Master - Gaffin Theatre
• Much Ado About Nothing - Benedick - British American Drama Academy, Balliol College, Oxford ENGLAND
• Oklahoma - Will Parker - Gaffin Theatre
• Presidential Perspective: The Unknown Eisenhower - Dwight D. Eisenhower - Accent on History
• The Princess & the Pea - Prince Harry - Gaffin Theatre
• Promises! Promises! - Chuck Baxter - Northbrook Theatre
• Raise Our Voices Together - St. John - UIC Pavillion
• Romeo & Juliet - Romeo - British American Drama Academy, Balliol College, Oxford ENGLAND (Directed by Sir Benjamin Kingsley ["Gandhi", "Schindler's List"])
• Slingshot - Eliab - Academy Auditorium
• StoryTree Gang - Lead Singer/Lead Actor - National Tour
• Street Scene - Willie Maurrant - DePaul Music School
• Taming of the Shrew - Petruchio - Weyrauch Auditorium
• Ten Little Indians - Anthony Marston - Weyrauch Auditorium
• The Missing Smile - Kenny the Clown - The American Blues Theatre
• Three Sisters - Andrei - British American Drama Academy, Balliol College, Oxford ENGLAND
• Up the Down Staircase - Joe Ferone - Weyrauch Auditorium
• The Wizard of Oz - Rabbit - West Chicago Park District
• Year of the Flight - Orville Wright - Accent on History

MAKAIO has also performed in film and radio:

• 3: The Series - Devon - One Iota Productions
• Doubting Riley - Funeral Guest - Pete Jones(Project Greenlight)/Mothballs, LLC
• The Hidden Kingdom - Nick - JIMLAS Productions
• The Race Game - Master - Starfish Studios
• Stressed Addiction - Damon - JIMLAS Productions

• "Adventures in Music" Radio Show - WMBI
• "Unshackled" Radio Show (Pacific Garden Mission) - International
• "Mighty Men" Radio Show - WYLL
• "Brave New World" - WRDP

In addition to acting in theatre, MAKAIO has enjoyed performing in a variety of capacities, including as a singer, dancer, drummer/percussionist and more :

• Acapella, Inc. -  Lead Singer - Various Venues
• Brave New World - Lead Singer & Drummer - Various Venues
• Cabaret (the Musical) - Pit Drummer/Percussionist - Triton Auditorium
• Cheers for Years! - Lead Singer & Drummer -  Various Venues
• Chicago After Dark: Wedding & Corporate Entertainment - Lead Singer - Various Private & Public Engagements
• Cinderella (the Musical) - Pit Drummer/Percussionist - St. Xavier Auditorium
• Concert Band - Percussion Section Leader (Snare, Tympani, Marimba, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Auxiliary Percussion) - WCCHS
• Concert Orchestra - Percussion Section Leader (Snare, Tympani, Marimba, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Auxiliary Percussion) - WCCHS
• Covered Entertainment: Wedding & Corporate - Lead Singer/Founder - Various Private & Public Engagements
• Cycle for Sight - Lead Singer/Drummer - Welcome Party at Illinois Eye Institute
• Fouth of July! Remembered - Actor/Singer/Drummer - Various Retirement Centers
• Godspell (the Musical) - Pit Drummer/Percussionist - Weyrauch Auditorium
• Ice Wolf - Composer/Lead Drummer/Drum Section Leader - Merle Reskin Theatre
• Hans Brinker - Pit Drummer/Percussionist -  The Theatre Building
• Lock Up Your Daughters - Pit Percussionist - Merle Reskin Theatre
• Marching Band - Percussion Section Leader (Lead Snare, Bass Drum, Cymbals) - WCCHS
• Music Tonight: Wedding & Corporate - Founder/Percussionist - Various Venues
• One Heart Conference (USA & Canada) - Solo Singer, Actor, Dancer, Percussionist - UIC Pavillion
• Show/Swing Choir - Lead Singer/Dancer & Drummer - WCCHS
• Spirit Dance Party! - Lead Singer & Dancer - Spirit of Chicago
• Split Decision - Drummer/Founder -Various Venues
• State Music Competitions - Vocal Soloist, Drums/Percussion Soloist, Percussion Ensemble, Swing/Show Choir, Concert Band, Concert Orchestra - IHSA/ISMC
• State Music Festival - Percussion - All Stars Selected from State High Schools
• Strike Up the Band (the Musical) -  Pit Drummer/Percussionist - Pegasus Players
• Taste of Chicago - Lead Singer/Soloist - The Skyline Stage

MAKAIO has also worked as a composer, creator, director, public speaker, producer, teacher, writer:

• A Man After God's Own Heart - Creator/Producer/Director/Public Speaker - Green Lakes Resort
• Angels Appear - Writer/Director - Michigan Place
• Annie - Musical Director - Oakbrook Academy
• Brave New World - Composer/Performer - Various Venues
• Christiana's Conquest - A Modern Adaptation of the Pilgrim's Progress - Director/Writer/Performer - Midwest Venues
• Church Services/Conferences/Retreats - Worship & Praise Leader/Music & Drama Director/Teacher - CCC 
• Courage Under Fire - Creator/Producer/Director/Public Speaker - Green Lakes Resort
• Covered - Composer/Performer - Various Venues
• Daniel & the Three Kings (Musical) - Composer/Writer - 2006 Release
• Da Vinci Code 2: Electric Boogaloo - Director/Performer - OAS Productions
• Escape From Freedom - Composer/Writer/Producer/Performer - Improv Olympic
• Hanz & Franz Get Spiritual - Writer/Director - Various Venues
• Hope Worldwide - English/ESL Teacher - Zhangziazie, Hunan Province, China
• ImProverbs - Creator/Producer/Director - Stomping Grounds Theatre 
• Men Who Dream - Creator/Producer/Director/Public Speaker - Green Lakes Resort
• Mission: Impossible - Creator/Producer/Director/Public Speaker - Green Lakes Resort
• The Missing Smile (Musical) - Composer/Performer - The American Blues Theatre
• No Child Left Behind - English & Math Teacher
• The Oakbrook Academy of Music & Art - Music & Drama Instructor/Director
• One-to-One Learning Center - English & Math Teach
• Pirates and Petticoats - Director - The Oakbrook Academy of Music & Art
• Pirates of Penzance - Musical Director - Home School University
• Rodman's Revenge - Assistant Director - Northbrook Theatre Creative Drama 
• Rising Up! - Producer/Director/Public Speaker/Performer - Michigan Place, Chicago
• Seussical the Musical - Musical Director - Elmhurst Children's Theatre
• Sing a Song of Praise - Composer - Various Venues
• Singing Studio - Voice Teacher - Carver Middle School
• Worship & Praise Workshop - Vocal & Performance Coach - Champaign CC
• Whose Line is It Anyway/Impovisation Class - Teacher - The Oakbrook Academy of Music & Art
• To Bee or Not To Bee - Director/Teacher - Homeschool University 
• Why I Believe - Creator/Producer/Director/Public Speaker - Salvation Army Retreat Center

MAKAIO has spent a "lifetime" performing as a singer, actor and dancer in theatre, television, radio, film and various public venues, working as a professional/motivational speaker, preacher, teacher and songleader before thousands.