Dr. William E Smith

Dr. William E. Smith (W.E.S.) is an active musician, producer, composer, author and educator who has released four albums with his group, The W.E.S. Group, and has produced and recorded music for many notable artists. He is a published author (Hip Hop as Performance and Ritual, How to Be an MC, Making Money in the Music Business) and is an assistant professor of music technology at Bowie State University. Prior to that, he taught classes at Howard University, was the music industry coordinator and online ethnomusicology program coordinator at North Carolina Central University and was the jazz ensemble director at American University in Washington, DC.

He has recorded and performed with a number of musicians in a variety of genres: Gospel Artists: Hezekiah Walker and Fred Hammond, Jazz Artists: Donald Byrd, James Moody, Kenny Burrell, Gary Thomas, Antonio Hart, Antoine Rooney, Wynton Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Mike Phillips, Cynda Williams, and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ethiopian Artists: Wayna, Aster Aweke, Gigi. Dr. Smith has also opened for: DMC from Run DMC, McCoy Tyner, Ravi Coltrane, Jon Henricks, Cassandra Wilson.

Aside from performing at many jazz festivals and events in Anguilla, Bonaire, St. Lucia, California, New York, United Kingdom, Morocco, India, and South Africa, Dr. Smith is an avid composer. He has written music for TV and film and has composed music for multimedia performances such as theater performances and fashion shows.