Larry Alan Smith, Professor Emeritus, Former Dean, Composer, Administrator, Arts Entrepreneur

I’ve always liked being in charge and carrying weight. My dad died when I was young and I had to be in charge, so it was a role I learned to fill. In second grade I organized, “The Sound of Music.” I was the choir director at my church when I was 13. I had 26 jobs in 8 years at Juilliard. I wanted to be like William Schuman and Peter Menin, composing and running a great school. I wanted to make a difference. It’s what I thought I was supposed to do, run something, to help other people. People came into my office and needed help, and I could help them. I did make a difference, but there were limits, more and more limits as years went by.