Matthew Giobbi

Early Life and Education

Matthew Giobbi was born in 1974 and raised in Easton and Wind Gap, Pennsylvania. His early passion for music led him to study piano and trombone under esteemed mentors like Paul Schocker. He pursued formal music education at Moravian College, Mannes School of Music, and the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, performing with prestigious ensembles such as the New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Lima in Peru.

He later shifted focus to psychology and philosophy, earning:

• A B.S. in Clinical Psychology from East Stroudsburg University
• An M.A. in Psychology from The New School for Social Research
• A Ph.D. in Philosophy from the European Graduate School, mentored by Wolfgang Schirmacher

Academic and Professional Career

Giobbi has taught at Rutgers University in Newark since 2004, where he designed the first undergraduate course in media psychology, added to the curriculum in 2015. His teaching blends existential-phenomenological psychology, Buddhist psychology, and creative arts, with a focus on performance anxiety, learning disabilities, and elder music education.

He also contributes to Psychology Today through his blog Mindfulness & Music.

Published Works

Giobbi is a prolific author whose books explore the intersections of psychology, media, and philosophy. Notable titles include:

• Media Psychology (2014)
• Musings: On Buddhist Psychology, Intellectual History, Psychodynamic Theory, Media Psychology, & Existential-Phenomenology (2020)
• A Postcognitive Negation: The Sadomasochistic Dialectic of American Psychology (2010)
• The Ego and the ID & Caesar and Me (2015) – a unique fusion of Freud and The Twilight Zone

Musical Contributions

As a musician, Giobbi has released several albums and singles that span genres from classical to jazz and experimental:

• Collected Songs (1998)
• Ode (2018)
• Take on Me (2021) – jazz-inspired reinterpretations of 1980s music
• Numerous singles including Noelle, Silent Night, and Learning How to Swim

He performs with jazz combos like The Pretty Boys and continues to teach and mentor students in music performance and theory.

 Legacy and Influence

Matthew Giobbi stands out as a rare polymath whose work bridges the analytical and the artistic. Whether through his writings, teachings, or compositions, he invites others to explore the deeper layers of human experience, creativity, and consciousness.

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