Robert W. Smith
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the composer. For other uses of the name Robert W. Smith, see Robert Smith.
Robert W. Smith is an American composer, arranger, and teacher.
Biography
Smith was born in the small town of Daleville, AlabamaDaleville, Alabama
Daleville is a city in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 4,653. It is part of the Enterprise–Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city's nickname is "Gateway to Fort Rucker", as this U.S. Army post is located just north of town...
on October 24 1958. He attended high school in Dadeville, after which he left for Troy State University, where he played lead trumpet in the Sound of the South Marching Band. While at Troy, he studied composition with Dr. Paul Yoder.
Upon his graduation from Troy State with a Bachelor
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
of Music Education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
degree, Smith pursued his musical career in South Florida, where he earned the Master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Media
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
Writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
and Production from the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, while studying with Dr. Alfred Reed
Alfred Reed
Alfred Reed was one of North America's most prolific and frequently performed composers, with more than two hundred published works for concert band, wind ensemble, orchestra, chorus, and chamber ensemble to his name...
. He was soon hired by Columbia Pictures Publications and later Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
/Belwin Publications. Smith's career with Warner Bros. continued until 2005, when it was bought out by Alfred Music Publishing.
In 1997, Smith returned to Troy, Alabama
Troy, Alabama
Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
to become the Director of Bands at Troy State University, following the retirement of his old band director, Dr. Long. Smith would remain at Troy for four years, directing the Sound of the South Marching Band and the Symphony Band. In 2001, he left Troy to take a more full-time position with Warner Brothers Publications. His position with Warner since leaving Troy has taken him all over the world, acting as guest conductor and clinician with many ensembles, including the New Mexico All-State Small School band.
Smith's "New Day Rising" & "Don Quioxte" were nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards
The Independent Music Awards is an international program that honors top-ranked independent artists and releases in more than 50 Album, Song, Music Video and Design categories....
for Contemporary Classical Album.
Compositions
Currently, Smith has over 600 published works, including three symphonies. Symphony No. 1, The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (Smith)
The Divine Comedy Symphony is Robert W. Smith’s first complete symphonic band symphony. It was based on Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. Smith had studied this, and Homer’s Odyssey, at Troy....
, was inspired by Dante
Dante Alighieri
Durante degli Alighieri, mononymously referred to as Dante , was an Italian poet, prose writer, literary theorist, moral philosopher, and political thinker. He is best known for the monumental epic poem La commedia, later named La divina commedia ...
's epic; Symphony No. 2, The Odyssey
The Odyssey (Smith)
The Odyssey Symphony is Robert W. Smith's second symphonic band symphony. Smith had studied both this and Dante's The Divine Comedy at Troy University....
, was inspired by the Greek epic of the same name; and Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote", was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's epic of the same title.
Smith has also composed two works dedicated to solo instruments–-contemporary concertos for the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
family and the euphonium
Euphonium
The euphonium is a conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument. It derives its name from the Greek word euphonos, meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced"...
--entitled Gemeinhardt Suite
Gemeinhardt Suite
Gemeinhardt Suite is a symphonic band suite composed by Robert W. Smith, in 1997. It was commissioned by, and dedicated to the Gemeinhardt Company, makers of all types of flutes, and piccolos...
, and Willson Suite respectively.
Smith's piece "Into The Storm" was written to commemorate the powerful 1993 winter storm that brutalized the eastern United States. This piece is often worked into various themes and reset in different ensembles such as a version played by an orchestra, substituting the flute ostinato as a violin part; or otherwise used as a part of a marching band show (See Sandy Creek Marching Band).
Smith is a brother of Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi
Kappa Kappa Psi is a fraternity for college and university band members. It was founded on November 27, 1919 at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College in Stillwater, Oklahoma. William Scroggs, now regarded as the "Founder," together with "Mr. Kappa Kappa Psi" A...
, having been initiated into the Zeta Upsilon chapter at then Troy State University in April 1977. His work "To the Summit" is subtitled "Strive for the Highest," the motto of the fraternity. The middle section of "To the Summit" is an arrangement of the Kappa Kappa Psi Fraternity Hymn.
He is now the head of the Music Industry program in Troy University.
Other work
In addition to composing for bands, Smith has enjoyed success writing for drum and bugle corpsDrum and bugle corps (modern)
A drum and bugle corps, also known as a drum corps, is a musical marching unit consisting of brass instruments, percussion instruments, and color guard. Typically operating as independent non-profit organizations, drum corps perform in competitions, parades, festivals, and other civic functions...
. He had been a member of the Charioteers Drum and Bugle Corps in Alabama in the mid-1970s. His first great success came in the mid-1980s while he was writing for the Suncoast Sound, from Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
– a tenure which included Suncoast's 1985 program, "A Florida Suite," the first completely original musical program ever done by a drum corps.http://drumcorpswiki.com/Suncoast_Sound He would later go on to write for Magic of Orlando for several years. Until 2007, he wrote for the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps
Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps
The Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps is a Drum Corps International World Class drum and bugle corps based out of Toledo, Ohio that was founded in 1961. A member of Drum Corps International, it is one of two World Class corps in Ohio, along with the Bluecoats...
, of Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
.
Around 2002, Robert and his wife Susan L. Smith began to work on a new project, writing a fully integrated music curriculum that would begin in elementary school and take students all the way through high school. A design team of several music educators was assembled, and the result was Music Expressions.
Before the beginning of the 2006–2007 school year, Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
announced the re-hiring of Smith to the position of Coordinator of the Music Industry program.http://music.troy.edu/faculty_staff/rwsmith.html On December 14, 2006, Smith announced his appointment as Director of Product Development for the C. L. Barnhouse Company, and an exclusive publishing arrangement with the firm, effective January 1, 2007.
His wife, Susan Smith is currently the band director of the Saint James band.
Compositions
- 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime'
- A Christmas Hymn
- Affirmation Overture
- Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual
- African Bell Carol
- All Is Calm
- America the Beautiful
- Angels, from the Realms of Glory
- Apollo Fanfare
- Ash Lawn Echoes
- At the Crossroads
- Battlefield Earth
- Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
- Brazil: Ceremony, Song, and Samba
- Buffalo Dances
- By Loch and Mountain
- Cameroon
- Cantique de Noel
- Castle Lore
- Celebration
- Celtic Carol
- Ceremonium
- Chautauqua
- Christmas Concerto
- Christmas in the Round
- Covenant
- Currents
- Daphne
- Dance Celebration
- Dan
- Danza
- David
- Debbie
- Declaration in Blue
- Derek
- Discovery 1492
- Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
- Dramatico
- Dreams
- Drummer's Christmas Carol
- Encantohttp://www.halleonard.com/item_detail.jsp?itemid=26405010&order=0&catcode=00&refer=search&type=product&keywords=encanto+
- Eternal Peaks
- Fanfare and Processional on an Old English Carol
- Furioso
- Gemeinhardt SuiteGemeinhardt SuiteGemeinhardt Suite is a symphonic band suite composed by Robert W. Smith, in 1997. It was commissioned by, and dedicated to the Gemeinhardt Company, makers of all types of flutes, and piccolos...
- Gladiator Finale (featuring "Battle Theme" from Gladiator and "Parade of the Charioteers" from Ben Hur)
- Glorioso
- God Bless the U.S.A.
- Greensleeves: A Fantasy
- Hadrian's Wall
- Holiday Fanfare
- Herndon Exaltations
- Huntington Proclamation
- Hymnsong Variants
- In a Gentle Rain
- In the Bleak Midwinter
- Incantations
- Inchon
- Into the Storm http://www.alfred.com/alfredweb/front/ProductDetail.aspx?itemnum=%20%20%20BFO9814&pubnum=0
- Ireland: Of Legend and Lore
- Ithaca (from The OdysseyThe Odyssey (Smith)The Odyssey Symphony is Robert W. Smith's second symphonic band symphony. Smith had studied both this and Dante's The Divine Comedy at Troy University....
(Symphony No. 2)) - Jefferson: A Vision for America
- Jingle Bells Forever
- Journeys Through Time
- King of Kings
- Knights of the Royal Realm
- Kronos
- Let Heaven and Nature Sing!
- Linus and Lucy
- Liturgical Fanfare
- Liza Jane
- Lullaby Carols
- Montevista
- Monument
- Morpheus
- Mystere
- Mysterioso
- Nocturnal Dances
- North Bay Vistas
- Northwoods: Of Might and Mettle
- Old Time Rock & Roll
- On Eagle's Wings
- On This Day Earth Shall Ring (from Holst's Winter Suite, Mvt. 1)
- On the Rising Winds
- On the Mall
- Paradiso (from The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (Smith)The Divine Comedy Symphony is Robert W. Smith’s first complete symphonic band symphony. It was based on Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. Smith had studied this, and Homer’s Odyssey, at Troy....
(Symphony No. 1)) - Patriots on Parade
- Pavane (Pour Une Infante Defunte)
- Portsmouth Overture
- Proclamation
- Prologue
- Promising Skies
- Proud Mary
- Provenance
- Purgatorio(from The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (Smith)The Divine Comedy Symphony is Robert W. Smith’s first complete symphonic band symphony. It was based on Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. Smith had studied this, and Homer’s Odyssey, at Troy....
(Symphony No. 1)) - Push
- Quintilian
- Ragtime Medley
- Repercussions
- Rising Dragons
- Rites of Tamburo
- Rockin' Robin
- Russian Folk Rhapsody
- Rythmos
- Sami's Lullabye
- Semper Liberi
- Serengeti Dreams
- Songs of Earth, Water, Fire and Sky
- Songs of Sailor and Sea
- Spirit of the Winds
- Symphonic Suite from Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
- Tanoan Echoes
- Tap Roots
- The Ascension (from The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (Smith)The Divine Comedy Symphony is Robert W. Smith’s first complete symphonic band symphony. It was based on Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. Smith had studied this, and Homer’s Odyssey, at Troy....
(Symphony No. 1)) - The Children's Carols
- The Divine Comedy (Symphony No. 1)The Divine Comedy (Smith)The Divine Comedy Symphony is Robert W. Smith’s first complete symphonic band symphony. It was based on Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. Smith had studied this, and Homer’s Odyssey, at Troy....
- The Hunt With Belle Meade
- The Gathering of the Yeomen
- The Great Escape March
- The Great Locomotive Chase http://www.alfred.com/alfredweb/front/ProductDetail.aspx?itemnum=%20%20BDM00030&pubnum=0
- The Great Steamboat Race
- The Iliad (from The OdysseyThe Odyssey (Smith)The Odyssey Symphony is Robert W. Smith's second symphonic band symphony. Smith had studied both this and Dante's The Divine Comedy at Troy University....
(Symphony No. 2)) - The Inferno (from The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy (Smith)The Divine Comedy Symphony is Robert W. Smith’s first complete symphonic band symphony. It was based on Dante's epic, The Divine Comedy. Smith had studied this, and Homer’s Odyssey, at Troy....
(Symphony No. 1)) - The Isle of Calypso (from The OdysseyThe Odyssey (Smith)The Odyssey Symphony is Robert W. Smith's second symphonic band symphony. Smith had studied both this and Dante's The Divine Comedy at Troy University....
(Symphony No. 2)) - The Maelstrom
- The OdysseyThe Odyssey (Smith)The Odyssey Symphony is Robert W. Smith's second symphonic band symphony. Smith had studied both this and Dante's The Divine Comedy at Troy University....
(Symphony No. 2) - The Runaway Sleigh
- The Second Storm
- The Sound and the FuryThe Sound and the Fury (music)The Sound and the Fury is a musical composition by Robert W. Smith, inspired by the 1929 novel The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. It is made for the Belwin-Mills series, The Beginning Band. The song cycles between 2 main themes, the fury, and a sorrowful slurred refrain. Alto Saxophones...
- The Spirit of Orpheus
- The Star of Dreams
- The Swarm (A Battle Won With Hornets)
- The Sword of Kings
- The Symphony of Souls
- The Trail of Dreams
- The TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
- The Winds of Poseidon (from The OdysseyThe Odyssey (Smith)The Odyssey Symphony is Robert W. Smith's second symphonic band symphony. Smith had studied both this and Dante's The Divine Comedy at Troy University....
(Symphony No. 2)) - Three Faces of Kilimanjaro
- Tidings of Joy!
- To Challenge the Sky and Heavens Above
- To Dance in the Fields of Glory
- To Dance in the Secret Garden
- To the Summit! (Strive for the Highest)
- Twelve Seconds to the Moon
- Twilight Is Falling
- Two Beethoven Sketches
- Ukrainian Bell Carol
- Ultimatum
- Valdres
- Valiance (A Heroic Overture for Band)
- Variant on an Old English Carol
- Variations on "Deck the Halls"
- Warm-Ups for Outdoor Winds and Percussion
- Wassail
- When Summer Takes Flight
- Where the Black Hawk Soars
- Wild Wild West
- Willson Suite
- Winged Victory