After a diverse career in musical performance, new NHS orchestra director Philip Smyth now seeks to bring the skills he learned and the passions he developed on the road into the classroom.

Smyth did not always have a great passion for music. Growing up, he grudgingly took violin lessons at the request of his parents. He was the type of player who needed to count practice minutes. Over the course of 14 years of private lessons, he slowly grew to love the instrument. During grade school, his family moved from his Canadian homeland to Wisconsin. His high school lacked an orchestra program, so he often sought his playing opportunities outside of school.

He describes himself as “the token violin player of his high school,” as he often was called on for small ceremonies. He later went on to study music at University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Under the tutelage of several accomplished professors, he continued to hone his musical skill, culminating in a performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.

After school, his professional career began. A member of the string-based ensemble Barrage for two, he played alongside numerous indie bands and headlined the American String Teachers Association convention in 2012. Other highlights included performing alongside world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and playing at a Chinese New Year festival in Beijing broadcast to 50 million television viewers.

Smyth’s life may be centered around music, but he has other passions as well. A father of two, he enjoys hockey and coached it for many years. He likes to return to Canada for vacations and never turns down a steak salad.

Having served as Marshfield’s orchestra director for three years before coming to Neenah, Smyth knows what it takes to be a successful conductor. Still, he finds it odd, leading a class he never had the chance to take, but he consistently improves his teaching skills as each new day progresses.

He seeks to continue the high standards set by his predecessor, Kristi Stingle, while bringing in influences from his performance career. But his biggest goal is to leave a legacy.

Smyth has this simple goal, “When kids look back to high school, 15-20 years in the future, I want them to remember their experiences in orchestra more than anything else.”

Smyth brings one, more tangible remnant of his professional life to the classroom–his unusual five-string violin. When plugged into a homemade rig of effect pedals, the instrument can take on countless characters, from an echoing organ to a roaring metal guitar. When demonstrating the abilities of his prized instrument, Smyth brings excitement to the orchestra students–and surely plenty of inspiration.