About Brian
Brian Smith is a musician and writer interested in exploring cultural practices, social forces, and technology through the medium of sound and musical performance. Praised for his feline-like grace as a percussionist, Brian delivers “committed and energetic” performances with a versatile repertoire that includes historical, contemporary, and experimental musical practices. His primary work as a contemporary percussionist incorporates many electro-acoustic and multimedia pieces. As a co-founder and member of the ensemble ScreenPlay, he pursues a deep interest in experimental musical practices and improvisation through audio-visual works that utilize animated notational schemes. Brian’s current “solo” project, Human+, combines his interest in technologically-mediated sonic arts with a fiendish advocacy for new works by living composers to develop a repertoire of duets for musical robotics and percussionist. As an orchestral percussionist, Brian has performed with ensembles throughout the U.S. and Europe, appearing in world-class concert halls including the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and the Berlin Philharmonie. He plays period timpani and percussion with the Staunton Music Festival, and his ethnographic interests include West African drumming and dance from Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
An experienced educator, Brian has taught at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Stony Brook University, and Texas State University. He also served as a Teaching Artist with the nationally renowned ensemble, Tales & Scales, working in local schools and community centers as an artist-in-residence.
Brian received Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University. He currently lives in Central TX.
An experienced educator, Brian has taught at Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the University of Lynchburg, Randolph College, Stony Brook University, and Texas State University. He also served as a Teaching Artist with the nationally renowned ensemble, Tales & Scales, working in local schools and community centers as an artist-in-residence.
Brian received Bachelor and Master’s degrees from the University of Cincinnati College–Conservatory of Music and the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University. He currently lives in Central TX.