Wayne Smith inducted into West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame
PARKERSBURG — A retired music teacher at Tyler Consolidated High School was inducted Saturday into the West Virginia Marching Band Directors Hall of Fame.
Wayne Smith, a 1977 graduate of Parkersburg South High School, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony at Laidley Field in Charleston during the West Virginia Marching Band Invitational.
The award, presented by Tyler County Superintendent Robin Daquilante, recognizes active and retired band directors who inspired students and encouraged a lifelong interest in music and the arts. The Tyler Consolidated High School Band took the field in competition and performed the fight song at the ceremony in Smith’s honor.
Smith is a graduate of West Virginia University and the United States Navy School of Music. He was a trombonist with the NATO Band based in Naples, Italy, and early in his career was an active member of the Morgantown and Wheeling musicians unions.
He performs with the Doug Hess Big Band, the St. Marys Community Concert Band and the Marietta College Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble.
Smith was director of bands at Tyler County High School from 1986-1993. From 1993-2016, Smith was the director of the Tyler Consolidated High School Band. Under his direction, the high school concert band received superior ratings at the West Virginia State Concert Band Festival every year.
The Tyler Consolidated High School Wind Ensemble was selected as 2008 Honor Band for the state of West Virginia.
Also under his tenure, the marching band earned many grand champion and runner-up grand champion awards. Grand championships include the Black Walnut Festival, Paden City Band Show, Elkins Forest Festival, Pittsburgh Gateway Band Show, Pittsburgh Baldwin Band Show, Ripley Vikingfest and band competitions in Bridgeport, Sissonville, Poca and Cabell Midland.
In March, Smith was inducted into the West Virginia Music Educators Hall of Fame. He has twice been awarded Outstanding Educator for Tyler County Schools, selected by the National Federation of High Schools as Outstanding Music Educator for West Virginia and was the West Virginia Bandmaster of the Year in 2008.
A member of the national band fraternity Phi Beta Mu, he has served as a guest trombone soloist, clinician and adjudicator in West Virginia. He has conducted honor bands for West Virginia and Marshall universities, Cabell, Harrison, Kanawha, Randolph and Mercer counties.
Smith retired after 30 years of teaching band in Tyler County. He resides in St. Marys with his wife, Cindy, retired director of bands at Blennerhassett Middle School.