Phil Smith Director of Percussion
Phillip has been a professional musician and educator for over thirty years. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the University of Tennessee and a Master’s Degree in Music from the University of Memphis. His career includes international tours, masterclasses, and residencies along with thousands of domestic performances and recording sessions. He has a prominent online teaching presence through his YouTube channel…
There you can access his podcast as well as the very popular video series, Two-Minute Lessons. Prior to his current position at South Plains College, he held teaching positions at Georgia State University, Truett McConnell University, and Talladega College.
Since arriving in West Texas, Phil has expanded the South Plains College commercial music percussion studio and established Groove Day which has featured legendary drummers Kenny Aronoff, John JR Robinson, and Sonny Emory. Groove Day is a public, annual event that celebrates percussionists through a full day of masterclasses, performances, Q&A sessions, and giveaways. He also continues his research and writing with his latest article, Real-Time Hearing, which was published in the Percussive Arts Society’s official journal, Percussive Notes Magazine.