BIOGRAPHY

     Kyle C. Smith is a guitarist, composer, and music educator based in Portland, Oregon. Born in Cincinnati, OH in 1989, Kyle first picked up the guitar after moving to the Oregon coast at the age of 11. Throughout adolescence, he performed in nearly every musical outlet that his school had to offer, eventually writing original music for his high school's jazz band and vocal ensemble. He also formed several bands, played with local musicians, and taught private guitar lessons to students of all ages.

     After graduation, Kyle enrolled in the music department at Portland State University where he would study jazz guitar with Dan Gildea and composition with Ezra Weiss. During this time, he collaborated with several other jazz students to form the band Orjazzum, a decidedly non-traditional group that sought to obliterate the notion that jazz is a pretentious art. After performing together for several years, the group competed for Portland State at the Reno Jazz Festival in 2011, winning 2nd Place in the college small ensemble division.

    

     Today, Kyle performs guitar throughout the pacific NW as a sideman for groups such as The Brett McConnell Lovetet and Funk N Roses, as well as for various Portland-based musical theater companies. He's also an enthusiastic instructor and teaches private lessons for guitar and composition.