Garth Smith (musician, born 1960) facts for kids

Garth William Smith (born June 8, 1960) is a talented American musician. He plays the piano and writes music. Garth is known for his skill in many music styles, including rock, country, classical, and jazz.

Today, he mostly creates uplifting piano versions of popular hymns from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Garth used to live in Oceanside, California, but now lives in Bella Vista, Arkansas. He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Early Life and Education

Garth was born in Brigham City, Utah. His father worked as an engineer. After high school, Garth took a break to serve as a missionary to the Navajo people in Northern Arizona.

He then went to Brigham Young University. In 1988, he earned a degree in Design Engineering Technology. After college, Garth worked for a company called Intergraph Corporation in Alabama. Later, he moved to California to work for Callaway Golf.

Music Career

Garth started learning classical piano at age 5. When he was a missionary and a college student, he often played the piano to entertain people. At his college graduation, he even played a Beethoven sonata for over 15,000 people.

Garth has been part of important music groups like the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). In 1999, he won the "Song of the Year" award from the California Country Music Association for his song "Last Call." He has also played keyboards in jazz, rock, and country bands.

Nashville Music

While living in Alabama, Garth discovered "Writers in the Round" at the famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee. This club is known for its small, acoustic shows where songwriters perform their own music. Soon, Garth was a regular, playing his original songs.

He also played piano for local theater shows in Huntsville. Garth joined different bands that toured around Northern Alabama and Southern Tennessee. They also played at local music events, like Huntsville's yearly Panoply Arts Festival.

California Music

In 1996, Garth moved to Southern California. He kept playing in country bands and worked on writing more songs. His bands performed at popular places like the Viejas Casino and the San Diego County Fair.

LDS Hymns

Around 2014, Garth began focusing on creating beautiful piano versions of popular gospel hymns from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has released several albums and music videos. His music is available through Deseret Book.

Sacred Hymns Album

Garth released his first album of hymn arrangements in 2014. It was called Sacred Hymns Arranged and Performed on the Piano. This album became very popular within the LDS music community.

Temples Album

His second album, How Beautiful Thy Temples, Sacred Hymns, Vol. II, came out in 2015. On this album, Garth used his special piano style to play hymns and sacred songs about the beauty and meaning of temples. This album was very successful, reaching #21 on the iTunes Gospel new music chart.

The famous LDS composer Crawford Gates called "How Beautiful Thy Temples" a "fabulous recording." Garth's album includes his version of Gates's Easter hymn "He is Not Here." The album also features songs like "An Angel From on High" and the classic "I Love To See the Temple" from the Children's Songbook.

Great Redeemer Album

On September 1, 2016, Garth released his third album of LDS hymn arrangements. This collection, called Behold the Great Redeemer, Sacred Hymns, Vol. III, features new versions of songs about Jesus Christ, the Savior. Garth also started releasing the sheet music for his arrangements. This allows other skilled pianists to play his music in church services and other religious events. Songs on this album include Lead, Kindly Light and Our Saviour's Love by Crawford Gates.

One reviewer said, "Smith's music takes you to a place of serenity, an escape from the world for a moment, and provides the listener with beautiful arrangements that point to the Savior."

A Sacred Christmas Album

Released for the 2017 Christmas season, A Sacred Christmas features Garth's favorite hymns about the birth of the Savior. This album includes other artists like Calee Reed, Michael Dowdle, and the One Voice Children's Choir. Their voices add even more inspiration to the music.

Music Firesides

Garth often travels to perform free, inspiring music firesides. During his 60-minute show, he explores gospel ideas found in eight hymns. These ideas include the restoration of the church, prayer, the sacrament, forgiveness, and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

His presentations include a story focused on Christ, live piano music, video clips from prophets, and artwork by other LDS artists.

Gospel Music Videos

Garth's piano music is often used in gospel music videos made by or for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This includes the church's recent #LIGHTtheWORLD Christmas service message. One of his most popular videos is the Heaven's Hallelujah arrangement, which features singer Lauren Sullivan. Many of these videos are available for free on his YouTube Channel.

• Garth Smith Music - YouTube Channel

Other Performances

On September 9, 2016, Garth had a special online concert on Facebook Live. It was shown on the Moroni Channel.

Awards and Honors

Garth Smith has received the following awards:

• In 2019, he was named "Inspirational Artist of the Year" by the Inspirational Arts Association. This award was shared with President Russell M. Nelson, the President of the Church, who received the "Advocate of the Arts" award.