Smyth

Jared Smyth started hitting drums when he was two years old, and hasn't stopped making music since. Jared has studied drums with Billy Estes, and is currently about to begin his Junior year at Florida State University studying music composition and film. He has opened for: Lymbyc Systym, Dan Deacon, Videohippos, and many more. In his spare time away from teaching music lessons to adults with developmental disabilities Jared composes score for short, independent films. His last score was nominated at Moondance, and Connecticut Film Fest. He is currently scoring Andrea Thiele's documentary, "Private Eyes."

Live CV gate control via piezo triggers attached to acoustic drums is primarily how Smyth performs live now. The use of Reason, Ableton, Logic, and MAX/MSP is what allows this to happen fluidly, and perfectly in time with whatever is played on the acoustic drums. This software cocktail also allows Smyth to travel and play shows with what is basically a fully modular virtual synthesizer all inside of his laptop that is responsive to his drum hits. The 'composition' factor of Smyth's songs is determined by a virtual step sequencer, laid out with a set of notes that, when triggered, stop and await the next signal from that particular channel.