About Us > Gary Smith

Gary Smith began his percussion career at the age of 9 years old in Visalia, CA. At the age of 12, Gary was playing drumset in local jazz groups gigging around California's Central Valley. At this time, he also participated in the Tulare County Honor Jazz Band Program as first- call drummer. By his second year of high school, Gary was both caption head and student leader of Mt. Whitney High School Drumline, student leader of the Visalia Thunder Indoor Drumline, principal percussionist of the Mt. Whitney HS Concert Band, and principal drummer for the Mt. Whitney HS jazz band. In the next year, Gary Smith went on to begin teaching private lessons, hosting 2-week volunteer percussion camps, and managing the Visalia School of Music. In this same year, he received two awards for music: a district wide award in outstanding music performance, and the Soussa Band Award in outstanding musical performance. The next year, he would continue with his previous ventures and also begin playing in such groups as the ASH jazz trio, the Kris Krosgaden trio, and Two Yards Shy, playing numerous gigs around the valley. At the conclusion of the year he received the Soussa Band award for the second time.

In his first year and only year at the College of the Sequoias, Gary would become the principal percussionist of the symphonic band, first-call drummer for the day jazz band, second call drummer for the Wednesday night band, caption head for the Mt. Whitney HS band percussion section, caption for the Woodlake HS percussion section, drum tech at Tulare Union HS, clinician and teacher for Three River School, and private teacher for over a dozen students.

Now at Fresno State, Gary is a double major in music education-emphasis in percussion, and geology. Gary has studied under such names as Dr. Gary P. Gilroy, Dr. Matthew Darling, Dr. Michael Caldwell, Leonard Bedoian, Joseph Hernandez, Mike French, Scott Avery, Craig Corey, Paul Shagoian, Scott Deering, John Burroughs, and Jeff Bilden. He also plays for the Tulare County and Kings County Symphonies, serves as principal percussionist for the Fresno State Wind Orchestra, and plays for the top percussion ensemble. He is currently co-caption head at Dinuba High School, supervisor for Mt. Whitney HS percussion, judge for local competitions, and is spending his summer as instructor for the pit for Fever Drum and Bugle Corps.