Orcenith Smith Is Still Making Music

Narrated by Drew Humphrey '07, university communications writer

It's the Thursday afternoon before spring break, and I'm suddenly alone in Kresge Auditorium, surrounded by silence and 1,500 empty seats.

Up until a few minutes ago, I had been joined here by Orcenith Smith, professor of music and director of the DePauw University orchestra. For 52 years, Smith has filled this performance hall with some of the most beautiful symphonic music ever composed. But on this day, he was filling the space with music of a different kind: stories from a career devoted to education, integrity and the transcendent power of artistic expression.

I had originally reached out to Smith with the goal of learning more about his story and his commitment to a university that will soon recognize him with an honorary doctor of arts degree at its 187th Commencement ceremony. Over the course of an unhurried, hour-long conversation, he had answered each of my questions with a patient and poetic grace.

But then a door had opened at the far end of the room, and an unexpected visitor arrived eager to borrow a moment of Smith's time. That was when Smith graciously excused himself, leaving me to finish up a few final notes on my own. As I did so, I couldn't help but recognize that his sudden departure - and the quiet auditorium he left behind - told me more about his legacy than any of his stories ever could.

A Musical Background

Growing up in Oklahoma, Smith was surrounded by music from an early age. His father was a voice teacher and a full-time faculty member at the University of Oklahoma, his mother was an accomplished pianist and vocalist, and his older sister was a flutist who would go on to earn advanced degrees and pursue her own teaching career.

"There are pictures of me playing piano as my mother is guiding me," says Smith. "There was music in the house in the evenings when I was playing or studying. I learned to play well because I heard it all the time."

In his senior year of high school, Smith moved with his family to Ohio. His father had taken a new job at Wittenberg University, and Smith's attention turned toward his own collegiate plans. By that point, his instrument of choice was the tuba, and he elected to continue his music education close to home at the Cincinnati Conservatory, where he became part of the honors and then conducting program. After graduating in 1973, Smith elected to stay in Cincinnati for his master's degree - a decision that would shape the course of his life.

"While in my first year of graduate school, the job of orchestra director opened up at DePauw," he recalls. "One of the professors at the Cincinnati Conservatory knew Donald White, the director of the DePauw School of Music at that time. He had reached out to see if there were candidates, and after interviewing in the spring of 1974, I was offered a full-time job."

Committed to Student Success

Smith got right to work in his new role at DePauw. He was eager to create exceptional music along with his students, but he also knew he had a duty to prepare them for their own unique paths forward. He quickly came to see his job as a delicate blend of musicianship and mentorship.

"Orchestra directors look at repertoire as it pertains to what an audience might appreciate," says Smith. "But they also look at what students need during their four years to prepare them for graduate school - or if they aren't going on to graduate school, what experiences they should have that prepare them for their work."

This student-centered approach to music education became a hallmark of Smith's career. As his role at DePauw steadily grew and evolved, his focus remained fixed on how he could best serve each individual under his tutelage, whether in the context of private lessons, classroom instruction or a performing ensemble.

"You don't necessarily know what kinds of students will be coming to you every fall," says Smith. "But as you assess what they can do, it suggests the projects you can put them to work on. We have to live in the mind of that particular student in their development. We have to see how they go about what they're doing and how we can adjust what they're doing to accomplish more."