J-Adam Smith - Healer, Mentor, Violinist, Teacher

Looking at the PAST for Answers!

2011-03-13T15:10:00.002-04:00

Back about 5 years ago, I transformed out of Despair, into Balance... Below are some blogs that I wrote during the major personal shift. Currently, I need to revisit what I did then, and make it happen again. Together let's see what I blogged...

JESUS, why did you do that?

Current mood: Awake

The christian faith believes that the only way to heaven is thru Jesus Christ. I personally believe in God, that Jesus did die for my sins, and thru Gods power he gave an excelent example of how to live life as God would want.

If anyone has a hard time with the idea of Jesus replacing God in our prayers, please raise your hands... I have my arm up, because I know without God in my life, I wouldn't be capable of surviving on this planet! (Yes, I'm barelly holding on.... heheh)

I Believe:
Jesus possessed the spirit of God when he was on this place we call earth... When he stated that the only way to heaven was through him, he was speaking for God! At the moment, through his actions and sacrifices, he was, that which motivated him... He was GOD

With understand this feat, we have more capability to understand saints: St. Francis of Assisi, St. Patrick, etc... They all worked as God for us!!!!!
Does Mother Theresa, Ghandi, and other current devine figures have anything to teach us about life as Jesus did 2,000 years ago? I'll let you think about that!

Later

Why don’t I need Coffee?

Current mood: Contemplative

I am thrilled to find out, I do not need any coffee... WHAT? It is 4:07am... Am I crazy? Am I going to be placed in an institution? Probably...

We have every chance to live our life as it is our last... We choose to sleep our lives away... Why?

Later

· Nov 21, 2007

What do you do when you become overwhelmed?

Current mood: Anxious

Do you sit there in the state of pain? Do you find out where that feeling is coming from?

Please raise your hand if you have ever felt depressed, upset, sad, or down!! (Everyone better be raising thier hands right now...)

Most of us, (In my opinion) connect PAIN to these feelings... These feelings are happening for a reason.
- I am feeling bad about myself.
- My grandma's passing away is making me feel sad.
- I feel lonely.

I feel we need to become aware of these feelings instead of medicate ourselves, drink excessivelly, or distract our attention

Now, the last choice... That choice really does work, temporarilly! We can go out with friends, watch a movie (as long as your internal dialogue isn't louder than the movie), go to the mall, etc..

I feel that life is about learning about God and Ourselves... There is no free ticket to the solution. We must combate the enemy when it comes around. Define what the enemy is doing to you. Define why you are being attacked. When you have found out the problem... All left to do is encourage yourself, say, "I am pretty", "I love myself", "I can do anything"... With these afrmative comments, you should see the pain slide away... (It is work though... no easy fix)

"Being aware of our problems, are like casting a light over the enemies"

Later

Time... Ohhh Time...!

Current mood: Cheerful

Time to wake up, Time to sleep, Time to leave, Time to get your life back.... (Do you have any to add?)

Through our daily life we are being told that there is no time... there is not time to play with our children, there is no time to enjoy the sunset, there is no time to breath!

It is sad to know that in the short life that we all possess, that there is no time for things. It kind of makes me think:

If we were to play a game, and knew that there was no way we would win or no rules to the game, would we play the game? NO
How many of us are saying no to our very life? How many of us have no drive, want, love, in our lives?

Well, the score is 0 to 0... We have the ability to add rules (FAITH)... And, we have the capability to score and win...

Open your eyes and appreciate every moment, I know I am :)

Later

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Slow Down and smell the rotten cheese!

HELLO ALL!!
What do you get, when you can't make up your mind on a career? Why isn't anything working for me? (Something Stinks)
I feel that I personally am so worried about where I am going to make the big bucks, that I am not letting it come to me naturally. In laymans terms... I am keeping myself from being secure financially!
If you do such and such, you will get rich!! (We have all heard people saying exactly that to us)
Why are we so busy living our lives to standards that mean ultimatelly nothing? St. Francis of Assisi gave up his wealthy living, was regected from his family, to live with the poor and minister to them... Why would a person do something like that? (I'll let you think about that)
My idea is, because material things mean nothing in the end!
The title of this Blog is interesting, because we all need to SLOW DOWN, but why did I state, "and smell the rotten cheese" The standards that we hold up, are rotten, they aren't ours, they aren't fresh, they aren't our true selves!
I personally have seen many, many people not even try, and great things happen... they are oblivious!! Why are they getting everything that I deserve? Because they aren't focusing on it...
FOCUS ON THE CHEESE, BY NOT FOCUSING, AND IT WILL SMELL BETTER!!!
Peace and Love,
J

On A Mission to Eat Right!

2010-12-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

FIRST TRY TO AVOID SUGARS:

Most foods we eat today either have too much Carbs (sugars), and or their is too much toxic food in our regular diet. Here is some food research I have come up with:

SODA - carcinogenic artificial sweeteners, when added with the artificial flavors and colors that sodas possess, basically you have a "Tumor in a Can".
SUSHI - imitation Crab meat is full of sugar, Tuna or Salmon in Sashimi fashion is the best!
PEANUTS - Avoid them! Wrong Omega-3 vs Omega-6...
ANY CANNED FRUIT - If you don't have the fruit in hand, don't eat... Also, the skin on fruit is very healthy.
Canned Beans - The Syrup is almost pure sugar... as much as a Soda!
CORN OIL - Too much Omega-6... Replace with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fat-Free or Reduced Fat Salad Dressing - Reduced fat just means replace with sugar... Replace with dressings using olive oil and/or viniagarette
SOY - Lots of hidden additives... Just Avoid. This is tough because I do like soy milk. Replace with goats milk (considered one of the healthiest foods), coconut milk, almond milk
EGGS - Awesome source for Protein (watch what you cook them in...)

Withdrawl Symptoms:
headaches, cravings, fatigue, tremors, depression and Anxiety.

I AM PLANNING ON EATING MORE MEAT AND FISH, LESS CARBS, and PRAY the withdrawls don't do me in....

THE GHOSTLY GLOOM AMONGST US (2007)

2010-11-17T12:37:00.000-05:00

by J-Adam Smith / edited by Graham Williamson

Many of us go through our lives with the feeling that there is a ghostly gloom around us! We walk down the street and say, “is this all there is in my life?” Well in paranormal research, we find that energies are connecting life, as we know it. These energies connect life that is on this physical world, and also they connect life to the world(s) outside of the world we know, (the spiritual and/or other planes of existence). This energy that we give off in our day to day life can be magnificent or a Holy Light, (divine and white), or it can be a depressing gloom, barely a flicker of light. Now people cay that parasitic entities are becoming more prominent in the world that we live in because of the year 2012, change coming and the “supernatural energies” are in a kind of flux, ( EXPOUND LATER). With my intuition, I am being told that we are allowing these entities around us to manifest into our lives. They are latching onto bodies and wanting to play with it, against our free will. We have a choice! Do we allow these entities to control us, or do we retake control of our lives whilst we are still on this planet. We are living breathing spiritual beings, that walk through this world, in a cloud of supernatural residue. We have allowed our bodies to grasp and suck in this energy whether it is positive or negative. (We are not always being haunted with something that is plain awful, sometimes we are just being driven by something other than ourselves, these entities.) I am worried for mankind more and more each day. The more knowledge that we get that the world/universe is bigger and bigger, the more fear we can draw into ourselves. What happens when we are dropped into a huge ocean with no visible land around us? You can either be really calm and logical, and know a rescue boat will be coming soon, or you can freak out and think you will be eaten by a shark or something worse! ( I know that sounds pretty graphic, but the truth is that we start feeling more and more alone, and don’t believe that we control our state and in doing so imagine within ourselves these worse case situations). In thinking this negative way, the world around us becomes dim and our eyes start to glass over and we close off to the world around us. We do however have a choice of becoming supercharged beings ourselves, with the ability to use this world as a means to connect from within, too our universal master. Make sure you are taking every opportunity to connect with yourself, protecting yourself from being used.

Healing Hands at Work (Knoxville, TN)

2010-11-13T14:39:00.000-05:00

A Little About J-Adam Smith... J was born in New Hampshire, by two very compassionate Roman Catholic parents, Barry and Jeannine, and has Seven older Siblings.

J has been innately connected to higher level of Spirituality since very young. Through following his inner guide, he has been reaching out for the meaning of Life and what his role is in the World… J-Adam attended Catholic Seminary when graduating High School, worked with many Spiritual masters, and has made it a mission in life to learn as much as he can about religion and spirituality…

Through Healing, J-Adam has the amazing ability to call from his guardians and Angels to use him as an instrument of healing. Through his channeling, psychological healing to physical healing is known to happen. J-Adam does not decide what healing will take place... but with Open participants, healing will occur....

J-Adam Smith is currently working on publishing some of his channeled philosophies and messages.

If J-Adam Smith was forced to classify himself, He would concider himself as a healer, human pengeluum, Empath, and a Intuitive…

If you are interested in being helped by J-Adam Smith, please feel free to contact him at: knoxhealing@gmail.com

Leading Strings Group @ Bijou Theatre: May 16th, 2010

2010-10-06T13:40:00.000-04:00

Benefit Concert @ Bijou Theatre
Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 4:00 p.m

about:
The Joy of Music School in Knoxville, Tennessee provides free music lessons and instruments to hundreds of children who would otherwise do without. Private lessons are taught by some 60 highly dedicated volunteer teachers. The School’s mission is to provide quality music education programs for financially disadvantaged youth. http://www.joyofmusicschool.org/

Fiddle Team USA - A Farewell Concert

2008-04-30T12:23:00.000-04:00

Fiddle Team USA play for the community, one last time in Leesburg Florida. Local residents share the grand finalie with the loyal students.

Fiddle Team USA, well known in the community are giving the community one last horrah in a fitting place. They performed in the big Methodist Church on Main St. These kids who have performed at places such as Disney (twice), Country Music Festivals, Art Shows, and charitable programs such as "The Gift of Music" in The Villages, Florida, have put 3 months of practice in for this very appreciated concert.

The Final Concert was a gift to the community and the students from Founder / Director - J-Adam Smith. J-Adam decided that a change was needed after over 7 years in business in the small town of Leesburg. "Sometimes you have to decide if the road you are on is the best road for ultimate success with your program!"

Internationally known and recognized musician & Teacher, J-Adam feels that his gifts can help more than just a handful of students, and decided that closing his school and rebuilding toward a national campaign would be the best way to go.

2008-04-25T16:42:00.000-04:00

Bridging the Gap between the Violin & the Fiddle

Fiddle Team USA and The Performers Circle are thankful to Violin From The Heart Inc. Without Violin From The Heart's blazing of the path, none of the success of these programs would be possible!

We are about building relationships with our students and thier instruments. We put all our efforts into helping our student succeed with thier instruments, building a life long bond.

Jeffrey Smith ( J-Adam Smith ), Founder and Director of Violin from the Heart Inc., was the original trail blazer for this unique and Internationally known program. His dedication and love for the instrument, was and is an example of passion, his passion and love reflect into his students; current and past.

2008-04-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

"Boost Your Musical Creativity"

Seminars

J-Adam Smith has revolutionized the teaching of the violin. Through his comical and enthusiastic aproach, J-Adam magnetizes student of all ages and levels of performance, to him. The violin is a much more multi-dimentional instrument than it ever has been through the dawn of time. While society and life has changed, we too must change and adapt to it through our music. The most common mistake, with teachers and educators, are that they do not speak to the student. They speak at the student! Grasping the essence of the instrument is the mission of the program. The talent comes from within!

Topics of Discussions are:

- Beginner Mastery Techniques
- Building a relationship with your instrument.
- How to inspire the musician inside!
- How to create your own Fiddle Team USA?
- Education does not equal motivation! (Teacher training)
- Experience the violin of Today!
(New age techniques for a new world...)
- Stage Fright, What is so scary!

Violins from the Heart set to close with free concert

2007-08-11T23:27:00.000-04:00

Violins from the Heart set to close with free concert
By Christine Cole
SPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL

LEESBURG – After seven years of teaching the violin to people of all ages, Jeffrey Smith's Violins from the Heart is closing its doors.
To mark the occasion, Smith and more than a dozen current and past students will stage a concert at 4 p.m. Sunday at Morrison United Methodist Church.
“We will go out with a bang,” Smith said. “I told the kids there would be no tears. They should see this as a chance to grow and broaden their horizons, not to be sad.”
Students will play most every type of music on their violins – bluegrass, country fiddle, rock, fusion, and broadway tunes as well as classical – in a kinetic performance.
“This has always been a school of performance,” Smith said. “We like to show off.”
Zack Deland, a 16-year-old who has studied with Smith for four years, said he stayed with the program because Smith made it fun.
“I love playing Irish jigs because the tempos are fun to play,” Zack said. “If it hadn't been so much fun, I probably would have quit.”
Zack is the co-captain of the school's Fiddle Team USA, an elite group that has played at Walt Disney World, in the Leesburg Art Festival and marched in parades.
Smith said he is not closing the school because of a lack of business. Instead, the 31-year-old is seeking a change.
“For seven years, I have put a lot of effort into the school,” he said. “I've been the owner, the president, a teacher and the trashman.”
He said he will seek a career in the nonprofit sector.
The concert at the church at 1005 w. Main St. will be followed by a reception.
For more information, call 352-348-2927

081107 – Orlando Sentinel

“Senior Volunteers Help Start-up Firms - Owners say SCORE's free advice pays dividends

2005-05-29T23:23:00.000-04:00

“Senior Volunteers Help Start-up Firms”

Owners say SCORE's free advice pays dividends

by Rosalind Jennings
SPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL

EUSTIS – As a college student, Jeffrey Smith started his first business, teaching violin.
Luckily, he had help. The Senior Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) gave him free counseling for his business at 128 N. Orange Ave., Leesburg.
Three years later Smith's Business, Violin from the Heart, still teaches students of all ages. It also trains performance teams and has a retail division.
Smith, 28, said his business continues to grow and has never had a problem turning a profit. He attributes that in large part to SCORE.
It's based at Lake Technical Center in Eustis and serves Lake and Sumter counties.
All 22 local SCORE counselors are volunteers with extensive backgrounds in business to share. The group serves about 600 clients a year. “We have counselors with experience in 50 different areas. We have 1,000 years of experience to offer free,” SCORE counselor Gayle Teerman said.
“Their advice is so valuable, it's like gold,” Smith said. “If it wasn't for Gayle and SCORE, a lot of this wouldn't have happened. I was wet behind the ears.”
Teerman, 76, is retired, as are three-quarters of SCORE counselors. “I've been a president of a corporation,” Teerman said. I've been a marketing manager. I've worked in finance, engineering, manufacturing...”
Counselors advise on competition, demographics, finances, marketing, time management and corporate structure.
Most important, they give the small-business owner individual, free attention, often on site.
“If we were to charge, we would charge about $200 to $300 an hour,” Teerman said.
Teerman helped smith organize his company, showing him the means to become president of a corporation. He has also worked with him on time management, daily operations and expansion plans.
“A new business owner can be frustrated with the day-to-day operational things. As you get more comfortable with it [your business], you worry less about the daily operations and start to see the big picture,” Teerman said.
To expand, Teerman said, a business owner needs to give daily tasks over to others, so he can be free to manage.
Teerman said Smith is doing well.
“In just three years, he's gone from teaching to performing. That's quite an accomplishment,” Teerman said of Smith.

052905 – Orlando Sentinel –
Business & Real Estate

Teaching violin for the heart and soul

2005-03-30T23:15:00.000-05:00

March 30th, 2005

Teaching violin for the heart and soul
Carol Cohan
Columnist

Have you noticed all the young kids tooling around The Villages this past week? I think spring break brings more children and grandchildren than any other time of the year.
Our household is no exception. Mizzette's daughter and granddaughter, Vicki and Madison, along with Vicki's friend, Gordon, drove from north Virginia last week and will be here until this Saturday. It's great to have young folks around again.
You may remember me telling you that Madison is a budding violinist, and that we give her lessons on the telephone now and then. She started taking violin this school year, and the school year has been steady. Nothing does a grandmother's heart more good than seeing a young child do well in school or in the arts.
When Vicki was young, her mother started her out on violin, but over the years her enthusiasm dwindled. Vicki still has her violin and brought it along for minor repairs. We dropped it off at Violin from the Heart, a music school and store in Leesburg. In the meantime, we rented a violin for Madison to use here.
Owned and operated by Jeff Smith, Violin from the Heart is billed as “Lake County's Top Progressive Violin School” according to his website. They offer private lessons as well as group instruction. The music repertoire ranges from classical to jazz, fiddle and even rock. Beginners and advanced students take lessons, learn and have fun at the same time.
Smith's motto is “Don't just play the violin, pla-a-a-y the violin.” He puts the motto on a t-shirt, and Madison hasn't worn anything else since she has been here. (We have washed it several times.) He also believes in the quote from Katie Greenwood: “Music isn't just learning notes and playing them, you learn notes to play the music of your soul.” We took Madison to the violin studio last Friday to observe a special rehearsal featuring the Fiddle Team. Five boys and three girls braved the strong thunderstorm for the two-hour session.
The members are accepted by audition only, and range from 9 to 13 years old. They've been studying for more than two years and have been playing together for the past year. They swayed and played, all from memory, and even after two hours, still wanted to go on.

033005 – Daily Sun

Violin Strings Tie Teacher, Students

2004-08-09T23:19:00.000-04:00

Violin Strings Tie Teacher, Students

by Christine Cole
SPECIAL TO THE SENTINEL

Two and a half years ago, when Marsha Keesee brought home a copy of Music of the Heart, her son, Austin, was not interested in watching with her.
The 1999 movie, which starred Meryl Streep, is about a woman who taught violin to children in East Harlem, N.Y. At the time, Austin was taking lessons in tae kwon do.
“He wandered in and out, then he stayed,” Keesee said. “He just loved it”
Two weeks later, Austin met Jeffrey Smith, the founder of the Violin From The Heart School in Leesburg, when Smith visited Treadway Elementary School in Tavares.
“He said,'Mom, I want to do violin,' ” Keesee said. “He chose it over tae kwon do.”
On Saturday, Smith had an open house to celebrate his school's spacious new digs in Leesburg, a two-story house at 128 Orange Ave. Austin, 11, was on hand to talk to other children and their parents.
Now in the sixth grade at Tavares Middle School, Austin has worked his way up to a place on the School's Fiddle Team, which has performed at Epcot.
“If you could see how his confidence level has risen,” his mother said. “And Jeff is a great teacher. He doesn't linger on their mistakes.”
Smith, 28, has a special rapport with young children, she said, and in response they commit to learn a difficult instrument.
For children younger than 7, Smith has brought in Cheri Stoffel, who will teach a “Kindermusik” program, an interactive curriculum of music and movement for parents and children.
Stoffel and Rosa Harrison, who teaches advanced students, were scheduled to meet parents Saturday. Smith said that his school has grown so much, he is looking for more teachers.
The 3-year-old school offers private and group lessons preparing students to play bluegrass, rock, jazz and fusion as well as classical violin. Students range from 3 years old to retirees. The new building will afford them space for a full violin and music store and rehearsal space for small community orchestras.
Austin's father, Brad Keesee, has been helping Smith turn the 1921 house into a school. Smith said he bartered for Keesee's handyman skills – Keesee owns Maintenance Essentials in Tavares – and for plumbing and landscaping.
“When Jeff wants to accomplish something, he can be very persuasive,” Marsha Keesee said. “He has a contagious personality.”
For Information, call 352-315-0200

080904 – Orlando Sentinel

Craftsman will demonstrate the art behind violin making

2003-03-07T23:12:00.000-05:00

March 7th, 2003
Craftsman will demonstrate the art behind violin making

By Jeremy Dean
Daily Commercial Staff Writer

Jeffrey Smith, owner of Violin from the Heart, hopes those attending the Leesburg Fine Arts Festival this weekend go home with more than just an eye full. He hopes they learn something about the arts, as well.
To educate the public about his favorite art, playing the violin, he has recruited a special guest to give a demonstration at his music school in downtown Leesburg.
The guest is woodworker Clyde Williams, a skilled violin maker. Williams, a skilled violin maker. Williams is going to show his audience how he goes about making a violin.
Williams said he is planning to explain as much as he can in his hour-long sessions. He is to start with the selection of wood and, using examples in different stages of readiness, show how he goes about carving and finishing the instruments.
“I'll try to show all aspects of making the violin,” the craftsman said. “I'll have samples of all the stages to show people.”
Continues...

030703 – The Daily Commercial – Weekender

Playing Music From The Heart – Jeffrey Smith is passionate about introducing the beauty of violin to his students

2002-08-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

Playing Music From The Heart – Jeffrey Smith is passionate about introducing the beauty of violin to his students

Jeremy Dean
Daily Commercial Staff Writer

Jeffrey Smith is standing in front of a window in his downtown Leesburg storefrontdoing the thing he loves most – playing a new violin.
This particular model is a one-of-a-kind, made especially for Smith by Gene Irwin, one of the many students he teaches to play the instrument.
He is playing along with one of his favorite groups – The Dave Matthews Band – and , judging by the look on his face, he couldn't be happier. “To be able to play the violin with something unusual, something different than classical, that's my passion,” Smith said then finished riffing on the instrument. “I love to be able play different things. ...
“There's nothing wrong with Classical – that's the root of everything – but it's nice to show kids that the violin has more than just one avenue, one direction in which it can go.”
Most of the kids Smith is refering to are those who take the violin classes he teaches out of three area schools, Skeen Elementary, Treadway Elementary and St. Paul's Catholic School.
Like other Lake County teachers, Smith attended teacher orientation last week just before the schools opened, even though his program is different than that offered by other teachers.
“The neat thing about our program is that we're leaving it in the parent's hands,” Smith said.
What he is referring to is the fact that, even though he is teaching at the schools, the programs are not funded by state or federal money. The instruction is paid for by the parents who enroll their child in the program.
“As long as the parents support us and want what we're doing,” he said, “we're going to be around.”
Mary Witsman, Smith's assistant in his musical ventures, was very adament about the virtues of children learning to play an instrument.
“Music is so important,” she said, “especially in early childhood. It really does help the learning capacity of children. ... There might be a lot of little prodigies out there that do not have a chance to be exposed to music.”
She said that the two of them are looking into some government grants that would enable them to offer musical education to underprivileged children as well.
“Mary has been one of my biggest supporters,” Smith said of his assistant. “Her daughter was one of my first three students two years ago when I first got started.”
Smith will be available at the three schools this week during his scheduled class times to enroll students in the program and meet their parents. Lessons will begin on Aug. 19.
The fee for taking the class at school is $55 per student per month, which Smith said is a steal when considering the package. The fee includes violin rental and an hour and 15 minute lesson each week.
“That's five hours of instruction each month,” Smith said. “I could go out and set my prices way up high and try to make a mint, but I'd rather try to really make something happen out here, give these kids a real opportunity to learn.”
In addition to the lessons at the three schools, Smith offers other instructional opportunities for both children and adults at his store front studio, Violins from the Heart, in Downtown Leesburg.
The store front is a new acquisition in his ever growing business. Before moving in to the spot on 4th Street just behind the Leesburg Library, he had a smaller studio, also in Leesburg.
“We're in a wonderful location.” he said. “We're right by the library, and there's a window front. You really can't go wrong here.”
He said the move has made for a hectic time this summer.
“I've pretty much been painting (all summer),” he said, “My poor violin wrist is aching from all the painting I've been doing,” he said, feigning agony in his joint.
From his studio, Smith teaches private lessons and holds group sessions in addition to the ones he holds at the schools.
His teaching encompasses students ranging in age from 6 years old to one student in her 80's. His ability to teach to people to people of varying years is one of his prouder achievements.
“A lot of people can only teach the young and others can only teach adults,” he said, “but I'm able to adjust my style to work with all of them. You have to act goofy with the 6 year olds and serious and down to earth with the adults.”
He has room in his schedule to give private lessons to 30 students and right now. He said the roster is half full.
The private lessons, he said, are a little more expensive at $60 a month for a half hour a week, but this is because of the time factor. It's easier to offer a lower charge when a whole group is contributing.
Given all this activity, Smith finds little time in his schedule for anything else.
“On the front of my truck it says 'Violin man on the run,' and literally that's what I am,” he said. “I've made my schedule and basically I have time to breath and that's about it.”
Ofcourse, he's not complaining. To the contrary, he's always looking for more challenges, and hopes to continue expanding his business until it includes additional teachers and groups.
“We want to get some other teachers in here,” Smith said. “We've already made our schedule up for availabilty and we have 80 half hour spots. ... We're looking for good teachers – piano, guitar, voice – not just violin.”
Smith's vision includes making his studio a center where musicians can learn and then offer something back to the community.
“Leesburg is changing and we're changing with it. Hopefully, music is going to be at the center of Leesburg, and we are going to be part of that.”
One of the things he would like to see in his studio, besides the violins, is a piano to be used as an instructional tool, as well as an accompaniment instrument for his violin groups. However, at this time, There isn't a lot of room in his budget for the big instruments.
“We're trying to get a piano donated right now,” he said. “We're just starting out the company which makes it difficult, while we're getting going, to purchase a $2,000 piano. If there's anyone who would like to donate or loan a piano for the group we would love it.”
Before starting Violins from the Heart, Smith still counted himself among the ranks of the area's music instructors.
He taught lessons out of the area music stores and from the Leesburg Center for the Arts, where worked with a beginning group of budding violinists.
“I started working with the (Leesburg) Center for the Arts orchestra,” he said. “I was the
Please see VIOLIN, D4

8/11/02 – Living front page