Clinician Detail

Gary Smith - Biographical Information

From 1976-1998 and again in 2004, Gary Smith was Associate Director of Bands at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he conducted the nationally famous Marching Illini, Basketball Band, Symphonic Band II, and taught marching band procedures and band arranging in the School of Music. He previously served as Assistant Director of Bands and Marching Band Director at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, IN; Director of Bands at Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, IN; and Director of Bands at Northside High School in Fort Wayne, IN. In 1988, he was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association and served as president in 2017. He is a member of Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha, and Kappa Kappa Psi music honorary fraternities and participates in CBDNA, NBA, and the Illinois Music Educators Association. In 2017, he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Illinois Chapter Band Director Hall of Fame. Several of his articles have been published in The Instrumentalist, The School Musician, and the Band Director’s Guide. His book, “The System: Marching Band Methods” is used as a textbook in several university marching band courses and marching band clinics. Smith received his BA from Butler University and his MA from Ball State University. In the summer, he owns and operates the Smith Walbridge Clinics for drum majors, flags, rifles, marching percussion and marching band student leaders and directors. Since 1949, these clinics have attracted thousands of high school and college students from across the United States and several foreign countries.