Steve Smith is currently in his twelfth year of teaching, and has been the Director of Bands at Downing Middle School since it opened in 2002.  At Downing, Mr. Smith teaches the Symphonic Band, assists with the Concert Band and teaches all of the beginning woodwind classes.  The bands at Downing have consistently earned superior ratings at the Texas U.I.L. Concert and Sightreading contest and have won numerous awards in band festivals throughout the state of Texas.  In 2005, the Downing Symphonic Band was invited to perform at the 2005 Midwest Clinic in Chicago.

In 2007, Mr. Smith was honored as a “Distinguished Music Educator” by the Yale University School of Music.  This award was in conjunction with the International Symposium – Music: A Child’s Birthright held at Yale to promote music in public schools.  Music educators from across the country were honored for their contribution to music education.

Mr. Smith began his teaching career in 1998 at Griffin Middle School in The Colony, Texas as the Associate Band Director with Mr. John Benzer.  Prior to his assignment at Downing, Mr. Smith served as Director of Bands at Griffin from 2000 to 2002.

Mr. Smith earned his Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of North Texas.  While at North Texas, he studied saxophone under Dr. Eric Nestler and performed in the North Texas Wind Symphony under the direction of Mr. Eugene Migliaro Corporon.  He is a 1992 graduate of Westwood High School in Austin, Texas.

Mr. Smith has also been involved in the drum and bugle corps activity for over twelve years.  After performing with and teaching the brass section for the Madison Scouts, Mr. Smith worked with the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps from Lexington, Kentucky in 1999 and 2000, where he served as Brass Caption Head, Program Coordinator and Staff Coordinator.  He spent the following three years teaching the brass section for the Santa Clara Vanguard from Santa Clara, California.  Currently, Mr. Smith works with Specialized Administrative Services Inc., providing leadership training for high school band students across the state of Texas.

Mr. Smith is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association.  His wife, Jenny, is an elementary art teacher at Forest Vista Elementary School in the Lewisville Independent School District.  Last summer, Jenny and Steve welcomed their new baby boy, Seoul into their family.  They enjoy spending time together as a family and are proud parents to their basset hound named Lemon.