The influence of a legendary University of Southern Mississippi (USM) professor convinced Louise Smith to come to Hattiesburg and study to be a music educator – ultimately following a “call to teach” that has since struck a chord with those singing praises for her work as the longtime band director at Gautier (Miss.) Middle School.
On Friday, Aug. 23 Smith returns to USM to serve as guest conductor for Pride Preview, when the University’s beloved Pride of Mississippi Marching Band gives the Golden Eagle faithful a sample of what’s to come this fall at USM home football games with a free performance at Southern Station in Spirit Park on the Hattiesburg campus. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m.
A proud alumna who performed with the Pride of Mississippi, Smith was named Mississippi’s Teacher of the Year in April 2023 by the Mississippi Department of Education, the first band director to earn this honor; in October of 2023, she became the first Mississippian chosen for the National Education Association (NEA) Foundation’s Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence.
“Louise Smith embodies what it means to be a Southern Miss Golden Eagle, and we’re thrilled she’s accepted our invitation to return to campus and be guest conductor for Pride Preview,” said Dr. Travis Higa, director of the Pride of Mississippi. “She’s an inspiration to others and we’re so proud of the accomplishments she’s achieved in the last year as she’s represented us at the state and national level.”
Though she’s been engaged with music nearly her entire life, beginning with piano lessons at age five, Smith wasn’t always interested in becoming a teacher or music educator. Until midway through her senior year at Pascagoula High School, she was planning to major in biochemistry and attend dental school to become an orthodontist; still, she was very active in her high school band program.
In her senior year, she attended the Gulf Coast Band Directors Association (GCBDA) clinic. Her group was led by Southern Miss Professor Emeritus of Music Dr. Tom Fraschillo, a beloved member of the faculty and a student favorite at the University. Smith was already familiar with Southern Miss while in high school, having participated with the All-South Honor Band as a junior and senior in performances on the Hattiesburg campus.
But it was at the GCBDA clinic, Smith said, where Dr. Fraschillo ultimately inspired her to change her career course, “sealing my fate into majoring in music education” with a plan to become a band director.
“If you’ve ever met Dr. Fraschillo, you know he is a dynamic teacher and conductor,” Smith said. “After that clinic concert, I got my ‘call’ into teaching. It was very clear to me I needed to major in music education, and that I needed to attend Southern Miss to do that.”
Smith has served as Gautier Middle School band director for 22 years, spanning her entire career to date in education. “I’ve done my entire career in this school’s band hall, and I’m so thankful for the growth opportunities that have occurred,” she said. She has also served as a state coach for the Teacher Leadership Institute and extended her teacher leadership skills in the Pascagoula-Gautier School District by serving on its strategic planning committees.
Upon learning she had been named State Teacher of the Year, Smith said she was “shocked, humbled, and overwhelmed all at the same time.” As recipient of the honor, she represented Mississippi for a weeklong series of state and national-level professional development programming and networking held in Washington, D.C. that included a state dinner at the White House honoring national and state teachers of the year, the first event of its kind.
“It was never on my radar that I could become the State Teacher of the Year because it just doesn’t happen for band directors,” Smith recounted. “However, I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to serve and represent the teachers of Mississippi.”
Smith’s selection as a Horace Mann Award winner came via her nomination by the MAE. Each state can nominate one person annually for the Award for Teaching Excellence; then, each nominee completes an application that includes an essay detailing their work as an educator, with only five selected from all applicants to earn the Horace Mann distinction.
Smith says she loved her time as a Southern Miss student. In addition to performing with the Pride, she was involved in several performing ensembles through the USM School of Music, including the Symphonic Winds, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and several chamber ensembles. She was also a member of the honorary band service fraternity, Tau Beta Sigma, and during her last two years at USM was the charter president of its Sigma Alpha Iota music fraternity chapter.
“All of these activities impacted my current life as a working professional,” Smith explains. “I bring all my musical experiences from my time in the performing ensembles to my students. They especially love the story of when I got to perform with B.B. King at the Liberty Bowl. And participating in the music fraternities helped develop my leadership skills as I learned how to lead with my friends.”
Along with Dr. Fraschillo, Smith counts many Southern Miss professors who made a difference for her as a student, with one – Dr. Gary Adam – standing out.
“Dr. Adam conveyed material in such an engaging way,” Smith recounted. “His instrumental methods class was magical, because we were able to function as band directors by the end of the year.
“But his genuine kindness is what I remember most, because he always made you feel unique and seen as a student, and that was evident in his interactions with us. I still take lessons from those interactions on how to be a better teacher and human being.”
Describing her as an “infectiously positive and encouraging student” during his tenure at USM, Dr. Adam praised Smith for her “persistence and insistence” that all endeavors are attainable.
‘If all teachers possessed just one-half of the enthusiasm, knowledge and skill that Louise possesses and demonstrates, the entire educational world would be as energized as the students in her band program,” he said.
Smith is gratified for the recognition she’s received in the last year, noting that regardless of profession, “being recognized is important for anyone, not just educators.”
“However, most professions are not under the same scrutiny as in education,” she continued. “Educators are often caught in the whirlwind of public expectations, and that usually comes with a great deal of criticism and opinions. So, being named Teacher of the Year or a Horace Mann Awardee elevates teachers as professionals and justifies the work happening in the classrooms.”
Before earning those accolades, Smith was in awe of other award-winning educators, aspiring to emulate their work.
“They’re rock stars to me, and I wanted to learn how they achieved what they did,” Smith said. “It inspired me that I might be able to have the same impact on my community. Having their stories, and now my story, in the ethos will hopefully inspire someone else that they can achieve great things from their classroom.
“Teachers are remarkable, and usually, their ordinary is pretty extraordinary. It’s been my honor to carry their stories and their students with me in the spaces I’ve been able to occupy this year. And so, I thank Southern Miss for being the institution that challenged me, pushed me, and helped refine me into the educator I am today. To the Top!”