About David Smith

David Smith was born in 1949, grew up in Kensington, Maryland, and is a product of the Montgomery County Public School System where he graduated from Albert Einstein High School in 1967. David's father Johnny played music his whole life and was the owner of Smith's Drum Shop, located in Wheaton, Maryland for 25 Years. Mr. Smith graduated from the University of Maryland in 1973 with a B.S. degree in Music Education. Mr. Smith moved to Los Angeles and in 1974 became the Director of Percussion at Los Angeles City College. While in Los Angeles, Mr. Smith finished his Masters Degree in Percussion Performance with Mitchell Peters at California State University at Los Angeles. Mr. Smith was active in the recording studios in Los Angeles. Some of Mr. Smith's performing credits include film work, performing on "Apocalypse Now", and "Missing", recording with the "Beach Boys" and performing with many artists such as Bob Dylan, Herb Jeffries, Charo, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, and locally with Chris Vadala, just to name a few. 

With the birth of his first son in 1987 and wanting to get off the road, Mr. Smith accepted a job with the Baltimore County Public School System. He taught there until 1993, where he then accepted the position of band director at Mayfield Woods Middle School. In 2001, Mr. Smith was hired as band director of Clarksville Middle School. Mr. Smith had a Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band. All of which, regularly received superior ratings at festivals throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

Mr. Smith is still an active performer, guest conductor, and adjudicator. He has written many compositions for percussion and has authored a beginning percussion method "Time in My Hands", and produced a CD entitled "Dave Smith and Friends". As a private teacher, he has placed many students in the County and State bands from around the area. Some of Mr. Smith's private students have gone on to have very successful careers, performing with James Taylor, Mister Mister, Phil Collins, The Chattanooga Symphony, and Madonna.

After returning from the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in 2009, Mr. Smith created the Regional Repertory Wind Ensemble. The philosophy of the group is to hire a guest conductor/composer that will prepare a concert of literature that is composed exclusively by the guest composer, so the students learn the music from the composer of the pieces. This was something that Mr. Smith felt was a huge part of the Midwest experience that the students truly appreciated. And hence wanted to recreate the experience every year.

After teaching for 22 years in the Howard County Public School System, Mr. Smith retired from Clarksville Middle School. His retirement did not last long as he became the Director of Musical Studies at Gonzaga College High School, where he currently teaches Theory, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and Percussion Ensemble.

Mr. Smith currently resides in Carroll County, Maryland where he has lived for 23 years.