Helene G. Smith, Autobiography

"MY JOURNEY IN MUSIC MINISTRY"

Autobiography of Helene G. Smith , B.M., M.M.Ed., B.S. 

I WAS BORN IN NEW YORK CITY.   My parents enrolled me in  piano lessons, at age 7. The foundation for my being a classically trained pianist began at that time.  I had my first formal piano recital, dressed in the pink taffeta gown my grandmother sewed for me at age 9 in the Recital Carnegie Hall with my fellow young pianists. God had begun to lay the pathway for my life of music from a young child, long before I  knew who He was. I continued studying piano, through high school.   I had a scheduled audition to  attend the New York School of Performing Arts as a piano major but I was late because my working mother could not get me there on time. When we arrived auditions were over. I was disappointed at the lost opportunity, but actually, this was God’s intervention. Consequently, I went to my designated public high school and joined the school choir, although I didn’t think I had any talent. But at the public high school, I was chosen for a full year’s scholarship to study voice at The Metropolitan Opera House in New York. Opera, and classical vocal training  were introduced to me by  Dr. Charles Albert McClain, a maestro who directed one of the Metropolitan Opera choruses.

MY LOVE OF SINGING OPERA  was  sparked by the thrill of my first performance in a professional choir at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. For a young high school student singing with incredible powerful voices of opera singers was amazing.  My passion for singing began here.  Since we could not afford continued voice lessons at the Met, as it was called, I was referred to an agent/manager who arranged vocal recitals in concert halls and churches all across the city in exchange for his commission and payment for more affordable voice lessons for me.

MY HOME CHURCH was originally a Jewish Synagogue.  It had great acoustics, and a beautiful pipe organ. It was also right around the corner from the apartment building in which we lived. It had a great youth ministry providing a wholesome social outlet for me.  It also provided strong Biblical teaching.  At some point I was asked to play for children’s church. Soon I was a  fill in pianist for the adult church, and eventually directed the Young Adult Choir. I remember how my mother had a full-fledged fit because the church wanted to pay me, and I refused compensation because it was really no big deal for me to play.  I went to church mostly as a social outlet, to be with my friends. Playing the piano was a minor activity since I was already there.

  

THE QUALITY OF MUSIC AT MY HOME CHURCH could not be denied.  Each Sunday was like going to a concert. The Youth Music Director  was working on her Doctorate in Music before leaving. The Gospel/Contemporary Choir was led by an awesome professional musician in the City and for me, rock star and source of Christian entertainment at its best.  The Senior Music Director was a virtuoso organist/choir director, and professor of music, who would bring his trained voice students to sing in the choir on Sundays. The acoustics of the church were phenomenal. It was here I experienced beautiful sacred music, oratorios, and classical church music. Rousing hymns were sung to the glory of God. Many in the congregation could hear and sing alto, and tenor parts with no training. Often the organist would gradually stop playing the organ and everyone suddenly realized that it was the voices alone making such a beautiful sound. We used hymnbooks, but most of us could sing the hymns from memory. This maestro and professor of music prepared me for what I would study in college, and eventually teach my own students during the course of my career.

I HAD NO AUTHENTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, although I was fully involved in my church. Life without Christ was empty. As I grew into adulthood, I knew something was missing inside of me, and there were so many conflicting experiences that I could not find answers to. It was about that time of graduating from high school, that I gave my heart to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior with the promise of living my life for Him. My conversion experience was very profound and heartfelt. It happened on a Sunday afternoon, after leaving church, in the privacy of my bedroom. This is when the transition to music as a ministry began. 

 

MY FORMAL EDUCATION consists of 3 Music Degrees: a B.M. from Nyack College; a M.M. Ed. from Virginia State University, and a B.S. from the University of North Carolina (Pembroke) which is where I became a licensed/ certified music teacher in the public schools of North Carolina and New York City, at the Graduate Level.  For 2 years, I studied choral conducting and vocal performance under Dr. Hugh Ross, a renowned Professor, Oxford University scholar, maestro well known professor in the 2 great music schools of New York City: Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music. As his student, I  had the experience of singing The Brahms Requiem with the New York Schola Cantorum and the New York Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.  I will never forget, how the power of God soared through the choir and orchestra in that great concert in that performance. That experience is as memorable as my first performance with the chorus of the Metropolitan Opera. It awakened my passion for choral directing. Even in my opera performances, when my fellow cast members wait backstage for entrances, I find myself spending the waiting time studying the maestro (conductor).

 

IN NORTH CAROLINA, while teaching music in the public schools,  I directed the Master’s Academy of Fine Arts, based in Georgia, and founded my own school: The Way School of Music and Performing Arts.  The music curriculum taught by me and my staff was classical vocal, instrumental, dance and fine arts for children through adults at my schools. It produced church musicians, music therapists, music teachers in the public schools, college music majors, boys choirs, home school choirs, and so much more. My schools practiced  Godly standards and prayer preceded all classes. 

MY FINAL EDUCATIONAL PURSUIT was a Doctorate in Musical Arts.  I enrolled at the University of NC in Greensboro as a candidate for the Doctor of Music Arts program, but dropped out because shortly after enrollment, the Army gave my husband orders for Hawaii. Years later, I applied and was accepted into the Doctor of Ethics in Worship Music at Liberty University. However, my acceptance letter came after I was diagnosed with Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis from Johns Hopkins Neurological Center. With this diagnosis, my quality of life and lifespan were unpredictable, and I felt my time would be better spent pursuing God's will in the ministry.    

HASM COMMUNITY CHOIR, and Fort Bragg Chapels Community Choirs were founded in 2012.  In terms of diversity and uniqueness, this choir was different from the norm, and a front page newspaper announcement and interview were an unexpected gift from God as far as exposure goes.   Membership ranged from 25 to 57 singers of different races, denominations (of Christian faith) ages, from High school through senior citizens, and included all levels of vocal abilities under the guidelines of HASM Community Choir. As a 501 c-3 organization, all concert proceeds, namely thousands of dollars are given to charity. The original choir of 2012 continues the mission with many of its original members.   In 2021 we were led to transition to Hawaii, to serve the people of God here however He leads.  The mission of HASM, Inc.is worldwide and God will continue that which He began over a decade ago.  I look forward to serving with those who wish to join me on this wonderful and glorious journey declaring that God is the Creator and Jesus Christ is Lord over the Arts.

 

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