Although born in Del Rio, Texas, Casey Smith was raised in Fargo, ND and there discovered his passion for music. This fevor started with the piano in the fifth grade, and soon after made its way to the saxophone in the sixth. Casey focused on the two instruments until the age of 15 when he picked up his first guitar.
Since that day, Casey has experienced an exciting range of musical opportunities and has pushed the guitar into the forefront of his musical career. He began by joining his local high school jazz program in the ninth grade, and his hard work and determination soon paid off: a senior in high school, Casey was selected for the All-State jazz band after only one audition. Casey's inspiration was further advanced during this time when he received a rare privilege to play alongside the admirable jazz guitarist, Herb Ellis. Such became his passion for playing that he began his own business, taking weekly trips to different homes and loyally devoting his time and knowledge to younger students yearning to understand the guitar.
During his first year at Minnesota State University Moorhead, Casey accepted an invitation to teach the guitar at a locally famous guitar store, Marguerite's Music. For the next few years, Casey maintained this position and built up a devoted student following of nearly 40 students each week.
When not busy teaching others, Casey pursued Jazz performance under the leadership of Glenn Ginn. As such, jazz soon became a focal point throughout much of his school curriculum, studying: jazz and classical guitar, theory, jazz pedagogy, and even the arrangement of full musical pieces for entire jazz ensembles. Casey also delighted in writing sonatas, fugues, and 20th century piano pieces, and found himself able to arrange string quartets for locally produced CDs.
Also during his time at MSU Moorhead, Casey somehow found time to perform in several guitar ensembles and jazz combos. Eventually, he devoted his weekends to playing with area rock bands and even won the title of Area's Best Rock Guitarist. Near the end of his time in school, Casey discovered his talent in the studio arts of engineering and producing, finally graduating in 2003 with a Jazz Performance Degree and an emphasis in Studio Engineering.
Casey has been consistently awarded scholarships in both jazz and guitar performance.
After MSU Moorhead, Casey busied himself playing with numerous bands as well as engineering and producing several local artists within the Fargo-Moorhead area. In September 2003, Casey was asked by Jon Langseth of Langseth Entertainment to audition for a position as guitarist and/or bandleader for the Jesse Lang Band. After an initial rehearsal, Casey was offered the position on the spot and soon after moved to Minneapolis. Since that time, Casey has already built up a strong name within the rock community, further adding to his appeal in the Dakotas. He will soon prove himself one of the leading players throughout the country.
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