David R. Smith

"At the age of twelve [12 years]I got my first guitar and started taking lessons at the local music shop where I first learned to play chords." By the age of seventeen [17 years] David had already started his first band. The name of that band, “Lil Abner” was a band of local musicians and friends who played local clubs and school dances. At the age of twenty [20 years] David entered Berklee School of Music in Boston, Massachusetts where he spent 3 years honing his writing and playing skills. "The main focus of my early studies was in performing and studio engineering." David spent time engineering other students projects and playing on studio projects as a session musician. While at Berklee, David played in various musical groups and became familiar with several genres of music. David involved himself in jazz, pop music, and even had the opportunity to write and produce some jingles for radio stations. After three years at Berklee, David was hired to play guitar and sing with the Nick Castle Orchestra at the Balsams Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. The bandleader was a sax player from the big band era who had played with Benny Goodman and it was there in that environment that David learned many of the big band styles. David had befriended a piano player who played the lounge at the Balsams Resort and the two of them formed a duo called, “The Badlands Gang.” We played the winter months at the ski resort as well as “The Cave” at the Balsams. They we got the bright idea to head out west to California and to check into the local music scene there. David took a day job and hooked up with a drummer in the LA area. The three boys formed a trio of guitar, piano and drums and started playing the local club scene in Los Angeles. David eventually landed back in New York and was called to join a new band called, “Reflections,” from the Schenectady, New York area. The band played many local clubs, weddings, and hot spots in all sorts of venues. This band allowed David to write some original material. They band went into the studio, and recorded some original tunes. One of the songs, “Breakaway,” was released and made the “recommended picks” in Billboard. David later recorded some songs over an extended period of time at a Studio in Keene, New Hampshire . These 9 new songs along with the help of some local session players made up his demo. Jan Uvena who was the drummer for Alice Cooper and Alcatrazz played on David’s original song demos. At the conclusion of all of this, those songs were submitted to Nashville’s Music Row. David Robert Smith performed on a local television show where he lived in Reading, Vt.. The television station, Channel 8, in Windsor County Vermont has had a tremendous response to David’s music. The Vermont Standard in Woodstock Vermont refers to David as the “money voice.” David had played Country Music’s largest event, Fan Fair 2005

Some places previously performed at:

Williamson County Fair, Franklin, TN

The Balsams 5 Star Resort Hotel, New Hampshire

The Bluebird Café, Nashville

The Gibson Showcase Theatre, Nashville