Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama
Sep 17, 2026 · 49 min · 11 segments
Join host Melea Hames as she sits down with Matt Mandrella, Huntsville's Music Officer — the first full-time job of its kind in the country — who landed in the Rocket City by way of a decade in Austin…
Matt MandrellaGuest
Melea HamesHost
Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama.
September is Huntsville Music Month and today I'm sitting down with someone who has played a big role in shaping and growing the city's music scene.
Huntsville was the first city in the country to hire a full-time music officer and my guest is the one they hired.
Matt Mandrella came here in 2022 by way of a decade in Austin and a run at Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, and he spent the years since turning the Rocket City music scene into something people fly in for.
And as I understand, it's the first full-time municipal music officer in the country.
So what does this job actually look like day to day? And how did you end up with such a cool job?
Read the full transcript.
Create an account to read the whole episode, search across every transcript, and follow the shows you care about.
Hey everyone and welcome back to another episode of Unexpected Adventures in North Alabama.
September is Huntsville Music Month and today I'm sitting down with someone who has played a big role in shaping and growing the city's music scene.
Huntsville was the first city in the country to hire a full-time music officer and my guest is the one they hired.
Matt Mandrella came here in 2022 by way of a decade in Austin and a run at Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, and he spent the years since turning the Rocket City music scene into something people fly in for.
And as I understand, it's the first full-time municipal music officer in the country.
So what does this job actually look like day to day? And how did you end up with such a cool job?
