"I'll never forget the first time I played on a Marimba One. I was a freshman in college, and I remember being awestruck by the beauty of its sound and aesthetic appeal. It really is the best instrument on the market!"
Nathan Smith
Nathan Smith is an Arizona based artist whose compositions blur the lines between contemporary, classical and traditional folk music. He strives to blend his love of mallet percussion with singer songwriter and folk traditions. “I love the honesty and storytelling that comes with the singer/songwriter tradition, and it’s my desire to incorporate that sincerity into my own playing and composing."
Nathan Smith was born and raised in the Dallas, TX area surrounded by a dense jazz and gospel scene. Growing up encompassed in drumline and drum corps, he has been active in the marching arts for over a decade. Nathan graduated from the University of Missouri, where he studied classical percussion under Dr. Julia Gaines. In 2013, Nathan settled in Austin, TX, where he became part of the city’s thriving music scene. During his time in Austin, he developed a passion for singer/songwriter music, worked within many different music styles, and won Austin Unsigned Artist of the Year award, as well as the LA Music Critics blog’s number one single award and fan favorite awards. In 2017, Nathan moved to Valencia, Spain to pursue his master’s degree in Contemporary Performance from the prestigious Berklee College of Music, studying under Victor Mendoza. After graduating in 2018 he traveled around Europe playing at many renowned and historic jazz clubs and music venues. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona where he is pursuing his doctoral degree with Dr. Morris Palter, teaching courses in music production and runs the Crosstalk electronics percussion ensemble.