Smith Music will close on June 29
[playht_player width=”100%” height=”90px” voice=”en-US-JennyNeural”]
by Stephen Dafoe
After teaching music to children and adults for the past 25 years, this year’s annual Smith Music Student Concert series will be the last, and the business will close on June 29th.
“Teaching for me has fulfilled a lifelong dream of working in the music industry, and I’ve been privileged to work with some of the best and definitely some of the cutest [musicians] that are just starting out,” Paul Smith said in a farewell video on the company’s Facebook page Monday morning.
Although Smith Music has operated as a Morinville business for 25 years, its owner has been teaching since he was 12 years old, bringing his teaching career to 33 years.
Smith said that despite teaching countless students, the business has never really been about the music but about showing people how they learn.
“When students come into Smith Music, and they learned how they could learn things faster, how they could learn things better; that was actually the whole mission behind the music school,” Smith explained. “The mission was also about showing people that they could achieve higher success than they ever imagined. When you’re looking at playing a musical instrument and playing something fast that feels not humanly possible, and then with enough work and perseverance and technique – you can actually do it – it makes a template for the person.”
Smith said he wanted to be able to teach music to give to other people, but the clients who came through the door gave him more.
“People came into Smith Music to learn, and I learned more from our clients about music, about life, about business than I ever imagined I would,” he said.
Smith went on to thank his staff past and present as well as his clients and the broader community for the success of his business for a quarter-century in Morinville.
With the business closing in June, Smith says his next step is transforming the company into Smith Media and Consulting, which will focus on media production and media consulting.
Paul, you have added to the lives of many students and their families. Always positive, and often hilarious, it was always a pleasure working with you. Enjoy your new adventure!
Your business has been an iconic fixture in our community and an amazing support to many community programs and events. So excited for your new adventure, but know you will be missed
Thank you for helping me be the musician I am today! You will be missed .
Paul and Henriette are the most amazing people I have had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you for all the years you have been a pillar of the community and bringing so much music and joy to our kids.
Paul – you and Smith Music will be missed – thank you for teaching and introducing Frazier to different instruments. Although it was many years ago – I still remember being so impressed with the talent you brought out of so many of your students. Thank you.
Paul, you were an amazing guitar teacher.I’m so happy I had the opportunity to get some lessons from you. Good luck with your next adventure. The community will miss you and your teams ability to teach music. Take care and thank you.
Congrats on the exciting new changes coming your way and it was a pleasure being one of your students!
Many thanks to Paul Smith for all he has poured into myself and my family over the years.
Congrats on your new adventures before you!
I don’t want to miss the final recital….when is it?