Stephen F. Austin State University

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS- Dr. J.B. Smith, professor of music at Arizona State University, will give a guest percussion recital at 4 p.m. Sunday, February 26, in Cole Concert Hall. The recital is a joint presentation of the Stephen F. Austin State University College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Admission is free and open to the public.

The program, "Music for Percussion and Electronics," will feature Smith as a solo percussionist accompanied only by prerecorded electronic material. He will perform five works, including one of his recent compositions, "Coping Strategy II: Redundant Accumulation."

Smith will perform on a variety of percussion equipment, including marimba, xylophone, vibraphone, toms, crotales (antique cymbals), tuned cowbells and wine glasses.

The electronic accompaniment will include sampled acoustic sounds as well as original electronic tones and effects. For instance, the tape for Carl Vine's "Percussion Concerto" is designed to mimic a traditional orchestral accompaniment, while the tape for Eric Richards' "Final Bells" is inspired by the harmonics that occur when a cowbell is rubbed with a rubber superball.

"The electronic world is full of new and unique sounds that generally combine incredibly well with the wide array of acoustic percussion instruments," said Scott Harris, SFA assistant professor and director of percussion studies.

Harris has known and worked with Smith for many years. "The recital will be a great musical experience for our SFA music / percussion students as well as the community at large."

At Arizona State University, Smith is the coordinator of percussion studies and director of the ASU Contemporary Percussion Ensemble which was featured in performances at the 1991 and 2002 Percussive Arts Society International Conventions.

As a member of the Desert's Edge Clarinet-Percussion Duo with Dr. Robert Spring, Smith performed at the Music Educator's National Conference in 1994 and the 1992, 1995, 2002 and 2004 Clarinet Fest International Conferences.

He served as principal percussionist with the Daniel Lentz Group which performed at the Interlink Festival in Los Angeles, the Bang on a Can Festival in New York and the Festival Musica Visual in Lanzarote, Canary Islands.

Smith has recorded and performed with the internationally acclaimed Summit Brass and the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded for Koch, Summit, Centaur, Rhizome Sketch, Fontec, Leo, Canyon Records and Whole Sum Productions.

For more information, please call (936) 468-6407 or (888) 240-ARTS.