A Kansas City man with ties to the Marthasville area can boast he sang on a Grammy Award-winning release. Matthew Gladden is a member of the Kansas City Chorale, which recently received three of the prestigious musical awards for its release, “Life and Breath — Choral Works by Rene Clausen.” The compact disc was released in June 2012. It was awarded Grammy Awards for Best Choral Album, Best Sound Engineering and Producer of the Year for Blanton Alspaugh. “We found out in November that we were nominated,” Gladden remarked. “Your first reaction is to throw a party, and we did.” As a result of the release being nominated, Gladden had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles, Calif., to attend this year’s Grammy Awards at the Staples Center. “Most people think the Grammys are just the eight awards that are given (on television),” he said, noting that there are 72 other awards that are presented during a pre-televised event which was held at the Nokia Center. Nevertheless, Gladden said the experience was unforgettable. “It’s an incredible experience seeing all the famous people walking down the street,” he said. “I saw Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Taylor Swift. It’s one of those surreal experiences where you ride on the elevator with Elliot Gould or see Sting drive by.” Gladden, son of John and Cindy Gladden, is a 2003 graduate of Washington High School. He attended William Jewell College in Liberty where he earned a degree in vocal performance in 2007. After receiving his degree, he auditioned to join the Kansas City Chorale. “I was familiar with the group and I was always in awe of them,” he said. Following his audition, Gladden was asked to join as a tenor. He has been a member of the Kansas City Chorale for the past five years. Although the group doesn’t limit itself to a particular style of singing, Director Charles Bruffy strives to maintain consistent sound quality with his vocalists, Gladden said. “We don’t use vibrato, except for effect,” he explained. “We have a very precise, crisp sound, so there’s no room for error. If someone’s voice is too bright or too dark, it will stick out.” Gladden described Bruffy as a “serious and passionate” director. “He knows what he wants (in terms of sound), but he does a good job of making it fun,” Gladden remarked. “We’re definitely a tight-knit group.” Gladden said the group typically will rehearse three hours on Sunday evenings, and more frequently as concerts approach. The Kansas City Chorale’s annual performance schedule features four concert series per year, comprising three to four performances each. “That is, unless you win a Grammy, and then you have 10,” Gladden quipped.