Home : Drum Corps : Staff

Frances Smith
Strength & Conditioning Coordinator/ Visual Instructor
frances.smith@gmail.com
http://web.mac.com/francessmith/

Frances Smith is an Austin based musician, dancer, and music instructor. Currently, Frances is a private lesson teacher, drum and bugle corps instructor and marching band consultant with multiple ensembles around the U.S. She is also a certified personal trainer, specializing in large group boot camps and sports-specific training.

Recently, Frances returned to the United States after a year in Japan touring with Blast II: Music in Xtreme as the clarinet soloist. The role combined her dance, acrobatic and athletic experience with her instrumental talents on clarinet, alto and tenor sax and flute.... and it was a Blast! Shortly before joining Blast II, Frances spent 8 months with the Aimachi Marching Band in Nagoya, Japan, as well as, with the Aimachi WGI Independent World Indoor Percussion ensemble. Competing at the 2008 WGI World Championships, Aimachi PIW placed 3rd.

Leading up to the fantastic opportunities that took Frances around the World, she participated in and competed with many performing arts groups throughout the United States such as the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps and Nolan Winterguard. She was also a member of the Longhorn Marching Band at the University of Texas at Austin.

Frances has also been able to use her experiences and education to teach many local and national groups. A few of these include: Cedar Park High School,Hendrickson High School, Teal Sound and Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps. While at UT, she founded a student‐based indoor performing arts ensemble called 40 Acre Sound consisting of 33 brass, percussion and dancers. Currently, Frances is excited to be back in Texas where she will be working side by side with Jeremy Spicer as the color guard director at the brand‐new Leander ISD Vandegrift High School. She will also be launching her non‐profit performing arts organization for local youth and kids

In her time away from music, she is a boot camp instructor with Austin Fit Magazine and works one on one with clients. For two summers she has acted as the trainer for drum and bugle corps, mixing body-weight based moves with plyometrics, drills and high intensity interval training to prepare the performers bodies to meet the intense goals of the marching drill.