The vibrations of bows on strings and air in flutes breathe music into the orchestra room, the halls of Archer and the lives of students. The orchestra has been a staple of student life for the majority Archer’s existence, and it would not be what it is today without Orchestra Director Susan Smith.
Smith began working at Archer 23 years ago, and she created and shaped the orchestra program. This school year was her last at Archer, as she announced her retirement May 8. Smith said when she first started teaching a middle school exploratory strings class in 2001, the strings program consisted of just seven students.
“We just would rehearse once a week at lunch in the parlor. We would carry our music stands down there, and we did that for a year or so,” Smith said. “And then I asked them, ‘Gee, do you think you could come after school once a week?’ and they said yes. And so the following year, I had a few more students.”
The program continued to grow from there. What started as seven students rehearsing in one small group is now over 40 students in four separate ensembles across middle and upper school.
In addition to size expansion, the orchestra program has also changed in form. Smith said there was initially no set musical concert. Instead, small musical ensembles would be interspersed with dance numbers during the Night of Music and Dance. As the orchestra and choir programs grew, it became apparent that a separate event was necessary. This led to the creation of the winter and spring concerts.
“[The orchestra program is] completely transformed. They are doing advanced repertoire,” Tracy Poverstein, who has taught as a theater teacher at Archer for 24 years, said. “Every time I go to the concerts, and especially this last one, I was just in the dining hall thinking ‘Oh my gosh, this is amazing what she’s done.’ And the difference when you’ve been here this long — you can really see how things have grown.”
Hannah O’Connor, Archer’s choral director and Smith’s self-proclaimed work-wife, said Smith moved to the United States from Germany when she was 16 and playing with an orchestra helped her integrate into a new community and country. O’Connor said one of the reasons Smith wanted to share music with students was because of the large impact it had on her own life.
“I know that that was really formative for her and that she wants to keep bringing that to students,” O’Connor said. “And she has brought it to students for over 20 years.”
Flutist Avalon Straiton (’24) started playing in the Upper School Orchestra when she first joined Archer her sophomore year. She said she couldn’t imagine an orchestra program without Smith and that she appreciates how Smith fosters a fun and caring rehearsal environment while still keeping everyone on task.
“I feel super supported by her. I feel like she knows orchestra super well,” Straiton said. “She pretty much is Archer orchestra.”
Poverstein said it is not just musicians who have been impacted by Smith’s time at Archer. Poverstein said the entire community has come to appreciate music more because of Smith, and she added that Smith has always supported her as a colleague and friend.
“Ms. Smith leads with her heart, but with high expectations and really clear class management and boundaries,” Poverstein said. “But in such a loving way that students want to impress her, and they want to be better for her.”
Smith said the orchestra program is constantly shifting, whether it is an increase in musicians or a rise in student leadership. Smith said her main focus as the orchestra director has always been meeting students’ needs and helping them improve their skills and find happiness in music.
“I would say my immediate goal is that it’s joyful, that it brings the students together and that they can enjoy making music with their friends,” Smith said. “And then of course, also learn new skills and be exposed to different genres of music. But at the end of the day, to me, music and the arts should be something that makes your life better, that’s a positive.”
Smith said she feels the orchestra program has had an equal impact on other lives as she has had on the program. She said she plans to stay involved with music after her retirement.
“I feel like I’ve really grown up here as an adult. I mean, I was 26 when I started here and just pretty new to teaching … but I’ve grown up here,” Smith said. “I’ve learned so much from my students. I feel like I’ve grown my confidence as an educator and musician and as a leader and conductor. All the while the students have been learning, I have been learning all along with them.“
Tracy Poverstein • Jun 3, 2024 at 6:15 am
What a lovely tribute Vivi. You not only captured the facts, but also the feeling and you painted the picture of the impact Ms. Smith has had.