ALL ABOUT NATHAN SMITH

      Dr. Nathan Smith currently serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arizona, where he teaches Electronic Music Production, and as an Instructor at Northern Arizona University, where he works with the Lumberjack Marching Band Drum Line and teaches classical and jazz percussion lessons.

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      His work blurs the boundaries between contemporary classical, folk, and popular music. Drawing on his background in classical percussion and his passion for the singer-songwriter tradition, Nathan creates music that is rhythmically inventive, emotionally resonant, and deeply human. His compositions explore how percussion can expand and transform familiar genres, crafting sound worlds that are both intimate and expansive.

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      “I love the honesty and storytelling that comes with the singer-songwriter tradition. It’s my goal to bring that same sincerity into my playing and composing. Music, to me, is about offering both the performer and the listener a moment of relief from the struggles of daily life — a temporary world created within a few minutes of sound.”

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      Before his current appointments, Nathan lived in Seattle, where he performed with the Seattle Seahawks NFL drum line and taught in several programs, including the University of Washington drum line and Northwest University. Prior to that, he toured throughout Europe after earning a master’s degree in Contemporary Performance from Berklee College of Music in Valencia, Spain, where he studied with renowned vibraphonist Victor Mendoza.

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      Nathan earned his undergraduate degree in classical percussion at the University of Missouri, where he studied with Dr. Julia Gaines. He later moved to Austin, Texas, becoming an active member of the city’s thriving music scene. There, he developed a deep love for singer-songwriter music, collaborated across multiple genres, and received recognition including Austin Unsigned Artist of the Year, as well as the LA Music Critics Blog’s “Number One Single” and “Fan Favorite” awards.

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      Raised in Dallas, Texas, Nathan grew up immersed in a vibrant jazz and gospel scene. His early musical experiences were shaped by drumline and drum corps culture, which became foundational to his development as both a performer and educator. Over the past fifteen years, he has performed with and taught drum corps ensembles across the United States. He was a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps and has taught Jersey Surf D&BC, Guardians D&BC, and the Seattle Cascades D&BC, where he served as acting caption head for four seasons. He also taught at Cedar Park High School in Austin, Texas, helping the program earn first place in the Texas 5A High School category and fourth place at Bands of America Grand Nationals in Indianapolis.