Director

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Byron J. Smith

Founder / Director

Byron J. Smith is a native of Los Angeles born June 1960. He received his B.M. from California State University , Long Beach and his M.M. from California State University , Los Angeles . He is an associate professor of music at Los Angeles Harbor College where he specializes in commercial music, teaching music industry courses such as "The Business of Commercial Music", Song Writers Workshop, Choir and Commercial piano and voice.

Byron freelances as music director, studio musician, arranger and producer; working with numerous artist including Wynton Marsalis, Barbra Striesand, Clifton Davis, Dionne Warwick, Daryl Coley and many more. He is a versatile musician and his experiences span the gamut of all styles of music. He has received rave reviews for his music direction of both theatrical and live productions. Byron is the composer of the musicals "Shades", "Black Pearls" and the award winning musical, "Children of the Night" where he won the NAACP Theater Image Award for best original score and best music direction.

Mr. Smith's choral works have sold thousands of copies throughout the country and the world. He is the resident orchestrator for numerous community orchestras in southern California . Byron is the owner of the Pro Pianist Entertainment Group and Onyx Music Publishing Co.; a musicians contracting organization which both performs and publishes outstanding music of African-American Composers young and old. His professional ensemble, “The Spirit Chorale of Los Angeles” has been a well respected ensemble for more than 14 years. This 16 member group of outstanding solo voices, have received rave reviews throughout the world.

Byron is the Music Coordinator, organist and director of the Grant A.M.E. Church of Los Angeles. He is a member of many performance organizations including AFM, AFTRA, ASCAP, SAG, NAMM and Chorus America . He is the Western Regional Director of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc and is the Ethnic/Multicultural R&S Chair of the Western Division of the American Choral Directors Association.