Smith, J.B.

J. B. Smith is a percussionist, composer, educator, and conductor based in Australia. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from Baylor University, a master’s degree in percussion performance and literature from the University of Illinois, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of North Texas.

Smith is professor emeritus of music and former coordinator of percussion studies at Arizona State University. He directed the university’s Contemporary Percussion Ensemble, which appeared at the Percussive Arts Society International Conventions in 1991, 2002, and 2006. As a member of the Desert’s Edge Clarinet-Percussion Duo with Robert Spring, he performed in North America, Europe, and Asia. He also served as principal percussionist with Ensemble 21 and the Daniel Lentz Group and performed or recorded with Summit Brass and the Phoenix Symphony.

After retiring from Arizona State University in 2020, Smith moved to Australia, where he continues to perform with orchestras and chamber groups, direct school ensembles, and appear as a malletSTATION soloist. His compositions are published by C. Alan Publications and J. B. Smith Music, and his work also includes educational tools designed to develop sight-reading and rhythmic accuracy.