MEET THE DIRECTORS
KINDALL N. SMITH
BAND DIRECTOR
A native of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Kindall N. Smith received her Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from The Hartt School in West Hartford, Connecticut. As a member of the Hartt Wind Ensemble, she recorded several new works for the NAXOS Wind Band Classics label under the baton of Glen Adsit. In 2011, she won The Hartt School’s Paranov Concerto Competition, performing William Bolcom’s Concerto Grosso for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra. Prior to her time at Hartt, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Performance Certificate in Saxophone. While at USC, she was an avid performer in numerous ensembles and served as a saxophone section leader for the “Mighty Sound of the Southeast.” She is a recipient of the distinguished Robert J. Vandoren Outstanding Senior in Music Education Award, the highest musical and academic honor for a graduating senior in music education at the University of South Carolina.
As a passionate music educator, Mrs. Smith has taught general music, band and orchestra in grades Pre-K through 12th. She currently serves as a Band Director at DuBose Middle School and an Assistant Band Director at Summerville High School. Under her leadership, the DuBose Middle School Symphonic Band performed as a featured ensemble at the 2018 SCMEA In-Service Conference. Dedicated to advancing curriculum and pedagogy, Mrs. Smith has conducted observations at several Japanese institutions including Inagakuen-Sogo High School, Senzoku-Gakuen College of Music and the Tokyo-Kosei Wind Orchestra.
As an active performer, Mrs. Smith has performed professionally with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Chelsea Symphony Orchestra (NYC), Long Bay Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale, Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, Summerville Symphony Orchestra, Hello Saxophone! Chamber Music Series, and the Charleston Wind Symphony, respectively. As a noted chamber musician, she was a semi-finalist in the prestigious Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Her applied teachers include Carrie Koffman, Clifford Leaman and Joseph Lulloff. She has performed in masterclasses for Debra Richtmeyer, The Marine Band Saxophone Quartet, Arno Bornkamp, The New Century Saxophone Quartet, John Sampen, John Nichol, Chien-Kwan Lien, Carina Rascher, and Wildy Zumwalt. Mrs. Smith maintains an active private saxophone studio with students ranging from beginner to advanced levels.
Mrs. Smith holds professional affiliations with the National Band Association (NBA), North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Women Band Directors International (WBDI), South Carolina Music Educators Association (SCMEA), and the South Carolina Band Directors Association (SCBDA). She currently resides in Summerville, South Carolina with her husband and co-director, Todd and their daughter Maeve.
TODD B. SMITH
BAND DIRECTOR
Todd B. Smith holds a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he was a graduate assistant with the world-renowned Marching Illini, conductor with the concert bands, and an active ensemble performer. Mr. Smith also devoted much time to music education research specializing in music medicine and technology. Prior to his graduate studies, Mr. Smith graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Bachelors in Music Education. While at USC he was an avid performer in the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Left Bank Big Band, Trumpet Choir, as well as a section leader in the “Mighty Sound of the Southeast” Marching Band.
As an educator, Mr. Smith has taught both band and orchestra in grades 5-12. Most recently, Mr. Smith was the Director of Bands at Stratford High School in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Under his direction, the Bands of Stratford’s concert, jazz, and chamber music programs all earned consistent superior ratings at their respective state festivals. The Stratford Marching Knights vastly grew under Mr. Smith’s direction, winning several classifications, captions, as well as being consistent finalists at the state marching contest. In 2019, the Marching Knights were named the 4A Lowerstate Champions and winners of the High Music Caption. Mr. Smith is also the founder of the Stratford Wind Orchestra, an ensemble modeled after Japanese high school wind bands and their pedagogy. In recent years, the Stratford Wind Orchestra was the featured ensemble for the 2018 SCMEA In-Service Conference and the 2019 University of South Carolina Band Clinic. In 2020 the SWO was recognized as one of the top ensembles in the nation by being selected as one of sixteen bands to perform at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. During his tenure, the Stratford Band has consistently received the SC Outstanding Performance Award, has been awarded two Citations of Excellence from the National Band Association, and was named the 2019 “Program of Note” by South Carolina Band Directors Association.
Before his appointment at Stratford, Mr. Smith was the Director of Bands at Cane Bay Middle School where he expanded the program to include multiple concert bands, chamber ensembles, increased honor band acceptance, as well as earned the school’s first Superior Rating with Distinction at the state concert festival. Prior to this Mr. Smith taught at Hilton Head Island High School creating the most comprehensive program in Beaufort County consisting of 2 Concert Bands, a Jazz Band and Combo, a Percussion Ensemble, a Symphony Orchestra, and a competitive Marching Band. All ensembles performed extensively throughout the year and were awarded multiple superior ratings as well as other various honors. Mr. Smith is also an active clinician working with middle and high school groups, giving brass masterclasses, and conducting honor band clinics.
Passionate about Japanese wind band music, pedagogy, and culture, Mr. Smith has conducted observations at several Japanese institutions including Inagakuen High School, Senzoku Gakuen College, and with the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. This study has led to the creation of a presentation titled “Japanese Training Methods for Winds: Culture, Resources, and Pedagogy” most recently given at the 2020 SC Music Educators Association Conference.
Maintaining an active schedule as a musician, Mr. Smith has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, North Charleston Pops! Orchestra, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Southcoast Symphony, Manchester Symphony Orchestra, Charleston Wind Symphony, and served as lead trumpet for over 250 shows at The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. He has studied trumpet with John Spitler, Brian Osborn, David Gordon, Keith Amstutz, James Ackley, and legendary Canadian Brass trumpeter Ronald Romm. Mr. Smith also maintains a private trumpet studio with student successes ranging from all-state ensembles to performances at the International Trumpet Guild (ITG).
His professional affiliations include NAFME, SCBDA, ASBDA, Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, The International Trumpet Guild, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Mr. Smith resides in Summerville, SC with his wife and co-director, Kindall and their daughter Maeve.