Natalie Smith

Assistant Teaching Professor

Assistant Director of Bands

Dr. Natalie Smith is the Assistant Director of Bands and an Assistant Teaching Professor at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At Wake Forest, she works with the athletic bands and serves as the assistant conductor for the concert band.

A native of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, Dr. Smith earned her Ph.D. in Music Education at Auburn University with certificates in College and University Teaching and Program Evaluation. She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Department of Music at Auburn, teaching undergraduate music major and non-music major courses and performing administrative duties. Prior to her appointment at Auburn, Smith served as an elementary instrumental music teacher for Baltimore County Public Schools. During this time, she also served as the Pep Band Coordinator/Director at Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland, where she built a new band play at their Division I Basketball games.

Dr. Smith holds a B.S. in Music Education from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and earned an M.M. in Flute Performance from East Carolina University. While at East Carolina University she served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University Athletic Bands and as a graduate instructor for the Flute Studio. Dr. Smith is also an active performer. She built and taught a private studio for flute, saxophone, and piano consisting of students ranging from elementary to college, and is a frequent clinician and adjudicator. Dr. Smith has also performed as the 3rd flute/piccolo for the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra in LaGrange, GA, as a substitute flute for the Albany Symphony in Albany, GA, as the director of the Auburn Community Orchestra, and as a guest performer and conductor in many professional ensembles. Dr. Smith has presented research sessions at both state and national conferences, and has been published in various educational journals. Her research interests include collegiate music curriculum, urban teaching, and bridging the gap between performers and educators.

Dr. Smith is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, College Music Society, College Band Directors National Association, National Flute Association, Women Band Directors International, Pi Kappa Lambda Honors Society, and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity and Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority.