Doug Smith, owner of The Drum Smith in Ohio, will retire this summer and ride his bicycle across America to support the region’s widely recognized community-based art school, SMARTS (Students Motivated by the ARTS). Smith’s nine-week trek, “Going the Distance for SMARTS,” will take him from Astoria, Ore., to Virginia Beach, Va. He plans to ride 60 miles per day, and believes the trip presents numerous opportunities for fundraising.
“I took up cycling few years ago, when my wife bought me a bike for my birthday, and I got hooked right away,” said Smith. “The importance of the arts in education is something I feel very strongly about, and I’ve long dreamed of doing a Trans-Am bike ride, so I’m very happy to help out SMARTS at the same time, rather than simply crossing something off my bucket-list. I was in outside sales in the percussion industry for 17 years, so I’ve got friends all across the country. I plan to visit as many as possible — and hopefully make many new friends as well — all while drumming up donations for SMARTS; it’s a great organization doing wonderful things for kids that otherwise would not be exposed to music and art education.”
SMARTS community art school provides access and early training in the arts for northeast Ohio’s PreK-12 youth, with a focus on underserved populations. It offers free classes in visual arts, music, dance, theater and creative writing in an effort to inspire self-discovery, promote student achievement, and impact cultural and academic literacy. Donations toward Smith’s “Going the Distance for SMARTS” ride can be made by visiting the SMARTS website at www.SmartsArtSchool.org.
Smith’s full-service percussion shop, The Drum Smith, along with the building itself, located in Struthers, Ohio, are currently for sale. For additional information, visit www.drumsmithonline.com.
The Drum Smith is greater Youngstown’s only percussion specialty shop. The original Drum Shop was started in 1976 and was acquired by Doug Smith in 2011.The full-service location caters to educational, ethnic, concert, and marching percussion needs and offers an internet sales division, along with private lessons and college audition preparation.