Department of Music

Daniel Smithiger

 Daniel Smithiger is the Instructor of Percussion, and Director of Basketball Bands at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, in Edwardsville, Illinois. He teaches applied percussion, percussion ensemble, percussion methods, percussion history and literature, percussion pedagogy, sectionals, SIUe Steel, and directs the Basketball Bands. Since his appointment in the Fall 2010, Mr. Smithiger has grown the Percussion Studio, created the SIUe Steel Band, created the Percussion Institute at SIUe (Summer Percussion Camp), the Marching Percussion Festival at SIUe, created the Greater St. Louis Percussion Ensemble, and the SIUe Marimba Band. He has also initiated the Department’s ILMEA Audition Clinics, and the SIUe Bi-State Honor Band Percussion Ensemble.

 Dan Smithiger remains in demand as a performer, judge and clinician throughout the Bi-State Areas of Missouri and Illinois. He has taught and performed in Taiwan, Canada, England, France, Austria, Germany, as well as across Arizona, Nevada, California, Texas, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, and Tennessee. He has performed with the St. Louis Philharmonic, the St. Louis Wind Symphony, the Dubuque Symphony, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the San Angelo Symphony, the Midland-Odessa Symphony, the Mesa Symphony, the Tucson Symphony, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, and the Flagstaff Festival of the Arts Orchestra. As a faculty member, he has performed solo recitals and as a chamber musician on the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, as well as with previous employment at McKendree University, and Angelo State University.

 His students have won and achieved distinction, recognition in competitions, and are teaching and performing across the United States. Mr. Smithiger is a Black Swamp Percussion Artist and Educator, and serves on the Education team for Sabian Cymbals and Remo. He serves as the coordinator and a judge in the Black Swamp Percussion Ensemble Showcase, and the BSP Solo Multiple Percussion Showcase. He has also served on the Education Committee for the Percussive Arts Society (2009-2019), hosted the Illinois Day of Percussion (2010) while at Mckendree University, and judged in multiple “Days of Percussion” in Illinois, and Arizona.