David Smith is Professor Emeritus at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU), where he served on faculty from 1970-2017. He has degrees from Mansfield University and East Carolina University, and he studied percussion with Robin Engelman, John Beck, Brad Spinney, Harold Jones and Fred Hinger. Smith received several awards during his tenure at WCSU, including the Teaching Excellence Award from WCSU, Higher Education Educator of the Year distinction from the Connecticut Music Educators Association and the Legacy in Education Award from Yamaha.
Smith performed with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) for over 40 years. He won the audition for Principal Percussionist with the NHSO in 1988 and retired from the orchestra in 2016.
In addition to the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Smith has performed with many regional orchestras as a percussionist and timpanist. He was the percussionist with the Paul Whiteman Band under conductor Maurice Peress. Performances with this group included concerts throughout the United States and a live television program on Italian public television in Rome, Italy.
As a soloist, Smith has performed many recitals throughout Connecticut and New York. He performed at the 1989 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Nashville, TN, performing two works by Milton Babbitt: "Beaten Paths" for solo marimba and "Homily" for snare drum.
