Miriam Hester Smith is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, pianist, and vocalist currently residing in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. She has been teaching piano and voice for 28 years and is a graduate of Shorter College where she studied piano and Piano Pedagogy with Mary Ann Knight and earned a Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in Piano Pedagogy. While a student at Shorter College she received honors in Piano Pedagogy from the music faculty and was the recipient of the Lillybell Lavendar Smith Piano Pedagogy Scholarship. In 1991 she was selected as the Middle College Winner in Piano in the Georgia Music Teachers Association Spring Piano Competition. Prior to studying at Shorter College, she attended Samford University where she studied piano with Dr. Betty Sue Shepherd. As a student at Samford she was one of the three winners in the piano category of the Concerto-Aria Competition and had the honor of performing with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.
Mrs. Smith performs as a collaborative pianist and most recently served as collaborative pianist at Shorter University where she accompanied the Shorter University Women\'s Choir under the direction of Dr. Stefanie Cash, as well as several instrumental, ensemble, vocal, and musical theatre productions. Prior to being on staff at Shorter Mrs. Smith served as pianist, soloist and associate music director at Perry United Methodist Church in Perry, Georgia and accompanied several school related choral events throughout the middle Georgia area.
Mrs. Smith is a member of Music Teachers National Association, Georgia Music Teachers Association, National Guild of Piano Teachers, National Federation of Music Clubs as well as Mu Phi Epsilon Music Fraternity. While living in Georgia she served as president of the Rome Music Teachers Association, Macon Music Teachers Association and as the Auditions and Festival Chairperson of the Macon Music Teachers Association. She adjudicates for the National Guild of Piano Teachers Auditions and Georgia Federation of Music Clubs as well as local and state wide competitive and non-competitive events annually. Her students have participated in competitive and non-competitive events and have won awards at state competitions including GMTA, GMEA, Middle Georgia Piano Olympics, as well as state literary events. Mrs. Smith\'s students have performed in master classes with master clinicians such as Dr. Martha Hilley, Sergio Gallo and the MTNA National Conference Intermediate Master Class guest clinician and composer, Dennis Alexander. Many of her students have received music scholarships at institutions across the U.S., including The University of Oregon, The University of Georgia, Agnes Scott College, Salem College, Berklee College of Music, California State Sacramento, Shorter University and Mercer University.
Mrs. Smith has performed as a soprano soloist throughout the southeast. Her recent solo performances include Handel\'s Messiah, Vivaldi\'s Gloria, John Rutter\'s Magnificat, Schubert\'s Mass in G, and Julian Wachner\'s The Snow Lay on the Ground. She has also performed as soloist in many church-related events, weddings and parties. One of her favorite performing opportunities was singing the National Anthem at the Rome Braves games while living in Rome, Georgia.
Mrs. Smith is from a musical family and studied violin, trumpet and marimba in addition to piano and voice as she was growing up in the north Alabama area. She is married to Eric Smith.
Her piano teachers were Dana Hester, Janet Varner, Dr. Betty Sue Shepherd, and Mary Ann Knight. Her voice teachers were Laura Doss, Eleanor Ousley, Dr. Staff Turner, Phebe Odom Settles, Dr. Chuck Chandler, and Dr. Deborah Popham.
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