Adam Smith

Instruments:

Piano

Style:

Classical, Rock, Jazz

Education:

---

Dr. Adam Smith brings a wide range of musical interests and experiences. He began his piano studies at the age of 10. He earned his undergraduate degree in piano performance at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University – Bloomington. He earned a Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Texas Tech University, with a dissertation focused on the effects of mindfulness on musical practice/performance. While at Texas Tech, he collaborated with a range of soloists and ensembles, performing in the jazz band, touring as a founding member of the tango sextet, Tango Llaneros, and playing keyboards for productions of Lubbock Moonlight Musicals, a semiprofessional musical theater company.

Adam is an active church musician, having served as pianist, organist, and choir director at churches in Texas, Pennsylvania, and now, as Music Director/Organist at both Mantua Center Christian Church and Hiram Christian Church, both here in northeast Ohio. In these roles, he has given multiple holiday recitals to benefit local charities (and he LOVES to play music from A Charlie Brown Christmas).

Outside of music, Adam works in higher education, offering professional development related to teaching. He has done this work at Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Penn State, and now at Kent State, where he focuses on professional development for graduate students in all disciplines. This work immerses him in peer-reviewed research on teaching and learning, which he draws on in his own music teaching as well.

Adam enjoys a wide variety of music, including jazz, pop, rock, and classical. He believes in establishing positive connections with students, understanding their interests, and working together to grow in their confidence and enjoyment of music.