Genevieve Smith

Genevieve has a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance, a Master of Arts in Music Theory and Composition. She was also accepted into the Doctoral Musicology program at Harvard University. Her music studies began at age 5, learning piano and cello. During her childhood, she attended a prestigious music conservatory, the Young Performer's Workshop, founded by Juilliard alumni. It was there where she was first introduced to music theory, and her understanding of music substantially improved. In turn, she found her true passion. She then pursued her vocation at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), one of the top performing arts and film schools in North America, to study cello performance. During this time, she had the opportunity to study with renowned cellist, a Harvard and Juilliard alumna, Dr. Grace Anderson; who encouraged Genevieve to reach a higher level of playing, by showing her how to apply her theoretical knowledge to playing the cello. Through her development, Genevieve became aware of her love and aptitude for music theory and composition. As a result, she used her skills as a music theory tutor, while she was an undergraduate student. She also used her music theory talents to collaborate with the UNCSA film school to create music for the RiverRun International film festival; and won the RiverRun music composition award for her string quartet composition. She also had the opportunity to attend master classes with a few Hollywood composers, such as Bruce Broughton, (composer of the Tiny Toon’s main theme song: “Tiny Toon Adventures.”) and Caroline Shaw (Pulitzer-Prize winner, Grammy Award winner and Yale School of music alumna). Genevieve was also accepted into a world renowned songwriting organization for the mainstream music industry, the Nashville Songwriters Association, for her modern mainstream compositions. She derives joy from simplifying complex, theoretical concepts so that students can understand and enjoy the many dimensions of music. She has over five years of experience in teaching music to people of all ages. As an accomplished musician, she strives to incorporate a fun and comprehensive approach in teaching theory. She teaches all levels of theory: Rudiments, Harmonic Analysis, Keyboard Harmony, Music History, Composition and Orchestration. Genevieve is also a strong proponent of the notion that music teaches the importance of discipline, devotion, hard work and effort; which can be applied to many aspects of life.