Andrew Martin Smith, D.M.A.

About Andrew

Andrew Martin Smith is a composer, clarinetist, and entrepreneur based in western New York. Through his music, he explores the sonic ramifications of interdisciplinary influence and inspiration. His compositions have been included in contemporary music festivals and conferences throughout the United States and Europe, including the Society of Composers, Inc. National Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, Electronic Music Midwest, and the International Computer Music Conference. The SEAMUS and Beauport Classical labels have released recordings of his music, and his chamber composition for voice, clarinet, and alto saxophone was featured in the SCI Journal of Music Scores. Smith received degrees in music from the State University of New York at Fredonia and Bowling Green State University. His primary composition instructors have included Mikel Kuehn, Elainie Lillios, Burton Beerman, Andrea Reinkemeyer, Donald Bohlen, and Karl Boelter. He is currently a Lecturer at the Fredonia School of Music, where he teaches courses in Composition and Arts Advocacy and Leadership.

As an educator, I value the process of learning. Striving to instill this value in every student that I teach, I encourage self-reflection, intellectual honesty, the synthesis of multiple perspectives, and critical, creative thinking. Making students aware of how they learn, instead of simply focusing upon what they learn, offers them an opportunity to develop skills beyond what Lev Vygotsky called the zone of proximal development (ZPD). Students may only become life-long learners if they are able to acquire, synthesize, and reflect upon new ideas and skills while outside the presence of an instructor.