Robert William Smith (born October 24, 1958) is an American composer, arranger, and teacher.

Biography

Smith was born in

Daleville, Alabama Daleville is a city in Dale County, Alabama, United States. At the 2010 census the population was 5,295, up from 4,653 in 2000. It is part of the Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The city's nickname is "Gateway to Fort Rucker", as this U.S ...

on October 24, 1958. He attended high school in Daleville, after which he left for

Troy State University Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...

, where he played lead trumpet in the Sound of the South Marching Band. While at Troy, he studied composition with Paul Yoder. In 1997, Smith returned to

Troy, Alabama Troy is a city in and the county seat of Pike County, Alabama, United States. It was formally incorporated on February 4, 1843. Between 1763 and 1783, the area where Troy sits was part of the colony of British West Florida.The Economy of Brit ...

to become the Director of Bands at

, 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 while away from Troy took 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 career with Warner Bros. continued until 2005, when it was bought out by Father of Savannah Cole

Alfred Music Publishing Alfred Music is an American music publishing company. Founded in New York in 1922, it is headquartered in Van Nuys, California, with additional branches in Miami, New York, Germany, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. History In New York Cit ...

. Co
Alfred to acquire Warner Publishing
AllBusiness. February 1, 2005 Smith's "New Day Rising" & "Don Quixote" were nominated for the 8th Annual Independent Music Awards for Contemporary Classical Album. However, they did not win any awards. He is now the coordinator of the Music Industry program at Troy University as well as the Vice-President of Product Development for the C. L. Barnhouse Company and Walking Frog Records.

Compositions

Currently, Smith has over 700 published works, including three symphonies. * Symphony No. 1, ''

The Divine Comedy The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...

'', was inspired by

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

's epic. * Symphony No. 2, ''

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', the ...

'', was inspired by the Greek epic of the same name. * Symphony No. 3, "Don Quixote", was inspired by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's epic of the same title.Robert Smith Bio
Robertwsmith.com. Retrieved on 2011-11-09. In 2011, Smith composed a piece in memory of Mary Jo Leahey and it was premiered at the Mary Jo Leahey Symphonic Band Camp at

University of Massachusetts Lowell The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML) is a public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, with a satellite campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts. It is the northernmost member of the University of Massachusetts public u ...

on July 21, 2012. The piece is entitled, ''Earhart: Sounds of Courage,'' and reflects the bravery of

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

as she attempted to fly around the world in 1937. It was commissioned by Deb Huber, associate director of bands at

UMass Lowell The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell and UML) is a public research university in Lowell, Massachusetts, with a satellite campus in Haverhill, Massachusetts. It is the northernmost member of the University of Massachusetts public ...

. Smith has also composed two works dedicated to solo instruments–-contemporary concertos for the

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

family and the

euphonium The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" ...

—entitled Gemeinhardt Suite, 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 National Honorary Band Fraternity (, colloquially referred to as KKPsi), is a fraternity for college and university band members in the United States. It was founded on November 27, 1919, on Thanksgiving Day, at Oklahoma Agricul ...

, having been initiated into the Zeta Upsilon chapter at then

in April 1977. His work "To the Summit" is subtitled "Strive for the Highest". The middle section of "To the Summit" is an arrangement of the Kappa Kappa Psi Fraternity Hymn. Smith is additionally a brother of

Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America (colloquially known as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Mu Alpha, or simply Sinfonia) () is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music. The fraternity is open to men "w ...

, initiated at

George Mason University George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origin ...

in 1996, and the Fraternity commissioned Smith's ''Spirit of Orpheus'' in 1998.''Sinfonia Resonance''
Retrieved on 2016-12-06.

Other work

In addition to composing for bands, Smith has enjoyed success writing for

drum and bugle corps Drum and bugle corps is a name used to describe several related musical ensembles. * Drum and bugle corps (modern), a musical marching unit * Drum and bugle corps (classic), musical ensembles that descended from military bugle and drum units retu ...

. 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 is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, United States, northwest of Tampa and St. Petersburg. To the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and to the southeast lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2020 census, the city had a populat ...

– a tenure which included Suncoast's 1985 program, "A Florida Suite," the first completely original musical program ever done by a drum corp

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, of

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

. From 2011-2014 he arranged for the

Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Madison, Wisconsin. The Madison Scouts were one of the thirteen founding member corps of Drum Corps International (DCI), and are a two-time ...

. In 2013 he began writing for the

Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps is a World Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Casper, Wyoming, the Troopers was one of the thirteen founding member corps of Drum Corps International (DCI). History The early years James E. ...

. Through the 2014 season, corpsreps.com lists 42 corps from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands that have performed Smith's compositions. 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 is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...

announced the re-hiring of Smith to the position of Coordinator of the Music Industry progra

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, formerly the band director at St. James School in Montgomery, AL is currently a lecturer of music at the John M. Long School of Music at Troy University in Troy, AL.

List of original compositions

* Symphony No. 1, The Divine Comedy (Smith), The Divine Comedy- ** Movement One: ''The Inferno'' ** Movement Two: ''Purgatorio'' ** Movement Three: ''The Ascension'' ** Movement Four: ''Paradiso'' * Symphony No. 2,

** Movement One: ''The Iliad'' ** Movement Two: ''The Winds of Poseidon'' ** Movement Three: ''The Isle of Calypso'' ** Movement Four: ''Ithaca'' * Symphony No.3, Don Quixote ** Movement One:''The Quest'' ** Movement Two: ''Dulcinea'' ** Movement Three: ''Sancho and the Windmills '' ** Movement Four: ''The Illumination'' * Aces * A Christmas Auld Lang Syne * A Christmas Proclamation * Abominable Snowman Chase * Affirmation Overture * Africa: Ceremony, Song and Ritual * African Bell Carol * Ain't No Stoppin' Us! * American Flourish * American Landscape #1 (Lake Township, Ohio) * American Landscape #2 (North Bay Vistas) * American Landscape # 3 (Southwest Summer) * An American Christmas * A Nation's Strength ( ... And Lift Them to the Sky) * And The Nations Rejoice * Apollo Fanfare * Appalachian Folk Dance * Ash Lawn Echoes * At Daybreak * At the Crossroads * Barrage * Benjamin Franklin and the Art of Music * Be Still, My Soul * Bells * Blue * Brazilian Bell Carol * Brazil: Ceremony, Song, and Samba * Buffalo Dances * By Loch and Mountain * Cameroon w/Michael Story * Can You Feel The Beat? * Celebration * Celtic Bell Carol * Celtic Carol * Ceremonium * Chautauqua * Christmas Declaration * Christmas in the Round * Commemoration * Concert Band Clinic * Covenant * Crown of Glory * Crush * Currents * Dance Celebration * Danza * Danza Del Fuego * Declaration in Blue * Developing Band Clinic * Discovery 1492 (Suite) ** ''Isabella, The Queen of Spain'' (Movement I) ** ''Voyage of the Tall Ships'' (Movement II) ** ''The New Land: A Celebration'' (Movement III) * Dramatico * Dreams * Drummer's Christmas Carol * Dueling Dragons * Earhart: Sounds of Courage * Elephas Maximus * El Espíritu de Valencia * Encanto * Eternal Peaks * Evening Alleluias * Fanfare and Processional on an Old English Carol * Fanfare for Tomorrow (From the Threads of Our Past, the Fabric of Our Future) * Fanfare on an Old French Carol * Fiesta La Vida * First Band Clinic * Freya: Goddess of Beauty and Love * Furioso * Gemeinhardt Suite * Ghost Band * Glorioso * Groovin' Down Cool Street * Hadrian's Wall * Holiday Bells Are Ringing * Holiday Fanfare * Hoosier Suite ** ''March Numeric'' (Movement I) ** ''Modal Dance'' (Movement II) ** ''Fanfare and Chant'' (Movement III) * Happy Birthday (Melody Mine) * Herndon Exaltations (A Celebration of Excellence) * Hymnsong Variants * Incantations * Inchon * Into the Storm * Invincible * Ireland: Of Legend and Lore * Jefferson: A Vision for America * Jingle Bells Forever * Journeys in Time * King of Kings * Knights of the Royal Realm * Kronos * Latin Bell Carol * Legacy * Legend of the Queen Anne's Revenge * Liturgical Fanfare * Lullaby for Band * March of the Magical Toys * Mekong * Mirages * Montevista * Monument ** ''To Touch the Sky'' ** ''Cloud Dances '' ** ''Colorado Dreams'' ** ''Pioneer Spirit and Celebration'' * Morpheus * Moto Continuo * Mystere * Mysterioso * Navarro * Nocturnal Dances * Northwoods: Of Might and Mettle * On Eagle's Wings * On the Rising Winds * Patriots on Parade * Portsmouth Overture * Prevailing Winds * Procession of Heroes w/Michael Story * Proclamation * Proclamation and Procession * Prologue w/Michael Story * Promising Skies * Provenance * Push * Quintilian * Racing the Yankee Clipper * Relativo * Reign * Repercussions * Rising Dragons * Rites of Tamburo * Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow * Rockin' Ol' St. Nick w/Michael Story * Rythmos * Santa's Wild Ride * Screamin' * Semper Liberi (We Will Always Be Free) * Sensei's Ride On The Cherry Blossom Express * Serengeti Dreams * Soaring through Ionian Skies * Solaris * Songs of Earth, Water, Fire, and Sky * Songs of Sailor and Sea * Spirit of the Winds * Stone Gardens * Suite of Appalachian Folk Songs * Surge * Swarm * Swing! * Symphonic Band Clinic * Symphonic Festival * Symphonic Statement * Tangents for Strings * Tanoan Echoes * Tap Roots * Teutonic Tales (Suite for tuba solo with piano accompaniment) ** '' Demon Dance'' ** ''Freya'' ** ''Thor's Hammer'' * The Children's Carols * The Hunt With Belle Meade * The Gathering of the Yeomen * The Great Locomotive Chase * The Great Steamboat Race * The Maelstrom * The Magic In Your Eyes * The Phantom Herd Across The Western Sky * The Recession Depression Holiday Blues * The Runaway Sleigh * The Second Storm * The Sound and the Fury * 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 Tempest * The Willson Suite ** ''Tronad'' (Movement I) ** ''In a Gentle Rain'' (Movement II) (also published separately) ** ''Hurricane'' (Movement III) * Three Faces of Kilimanjaro (Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira) * Three Fanfares for a Celebration ** ''Celebrations Fanfare'' ** ''Festive Fanfare'' ** ''Dedicatory Fanfare'' * Through the Vulcan's Eye * To Challenge the Sky and Heavens Above * To Conquer The Kraken * To Dance in the Fields of Glory * To Dance in the Secret Garden * To The Max (On The Truck) * To the Summit! (Strive for the Highest) * Triton Fanfare * Tromba Grande * 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime' * Twelve Seconds to the Moon * Twilight Is Falling * Ultimatum * Valiance (A Heroic Overture for Band) * Variant on an Old English Carol * Vaughan Williams Suite ** ''Wassail'' (Movement I) ** ''Greensleeves: A Fantasia for Band'' (Movement II) ** ''Declaration and Flourish'' (Movement III) * Warm-Ups for Outdoor Winds and Percussion * When Summer Takes Flight * Where the Black Hawk Soars * Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

References

External links

Biography from Troy University

Official page at C. L. Barnhouse Co.