Joel Smales

Joel Smales is director of bands at Binghamton High School’s Rod Serling School of Fine Arts, in Binghamton, NY, where he conducts 2 concert bands, 2 jazz ensembles, a percussion ensemble and steel drum band. He holds music degrees from the Crane School of Music (BM) where he studied with James Petercsak and Binghamton University (MM).

His school ensembles have performed for Bands of America, New York State School Music Association Winter Conference, New York State Band Directors Association, MENC Biennial National Conference, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, the World’s Physics Conference, First Night International, on television and the New York State Fair.

As a performer, Mr. Smales is active in the upstate NY region where he performs as Principal Percussionist with the Tri-Cities Opera Orchestra, with the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, leads his own percussion trio and plays drumset and steel drums regularly in the area.

Additionally, Smales is Director of Percussion studies at Binghamton University and each summer, he hosts a 3 day Percussion Camp for students of all ages to study with a faculty of outstanding percussion educators.

Mr. Smales has performed on over thirty CD’s encompassing jazz, pop, country, folk and audio books. His published works include percussion solos,ensembles, steel band, textbooks and method books.

His articles on music and percussion have appeared in Percussive Notes, School Band and Orchestra, School Music News, The Instrumentalist, and Band World magazines. His high school band program was featured in the cover story for School Band and Orchestra magazine. Joel has served as New York State PAS Vice President and Percussion Chair for the New York State School Music Association.