William Bramwell Smith Jr.

Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Smith began learning the cornet at age 10 under the tutelage of his father and uncles, all professional trumpet players. By the time he was 14, Bramwell Smith was the principal cornet with the Royal Regiment of Canada Band, a volunteer military band that is related to the Royal Regiment of Canada and that has played for every British monarch since Queen Victoria. At 15, he won a national competition for brass instruments, and shortly thereafter at the Peel Music Festival he won first in the cornet class. Bramwell Smith studied under Ellis McLintock Sr. at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto from 1945 to 1949. When he was not studying Bramwell Smith played with dance bands and other orchestras around the area. ==Military Music Career==

. When he was 19, Bramwell Smith left Canada and moved to Washington, D.C. to join the US Marine Band as a trumpet soloist. The Herald Trumpets is most widely seen at state and official arrival ceremonies at the White House where it performs three times in the order of events: first, "Ruffles and Flourishes" and "Hail to the Chief" for the arrival of the President of the United States; second, "Call to Statesmanship" for the arrival of the visiting head of state or chief of government; third, "Presidential Processional" as the President of the United States returns to the White House. In 1960, Bramwell Smith had the honor to write and arrange his most played composition when he wrote "Fanfare, Processional, and Recessional" for the 1960 Presidential Inauguration of John F. Kennedy. The "Processional" section was still being played by the Herald Trumpets when performing at the White House for official presidential ceremonies in 2018. He would also compose a Presidential Recessional. Bramwell Smith was also a music consultant for the White House. ==Teaching==

Bramwell Smith completed his military enlistment in 1961, and then became chairman of the brass department of American University. In 1967, Bramwell Smith came back to Canada where he served as the music director of the RCMP Band, holding the rank of superintendent, and would later direct the RCMP Centennial Review in 1973. He would hold that position until 1975. Besides being a member of the Herald Trumpets, Bramwell Smith held various teaching positions including from 1962 to 1967 teaching at American University where he was also chairman of the brass and winds department; from 1978 to 1982 director of bands at Humber College in Toronto while also being the conductor of the Humber Concert Band from 1983 to 1986; and director of the concert band at the University of Toronto in 1987. Bramwell Smith also worked with music companies while teaching becoming the head clinician for the company of Holton, who produced musical instruments, where he would conduct and play at university seminars on behalf of the company. He also later became an educational consultant for Yamaha of Canada from 1975 to 1978. Brawmwell Smith held other interesting positions during his career including being a consultant to King Hassan II from 1982 to 1983 along with director of music for the Royal Moroccan Air Force Bands in Rabat, Morocco. ==Writings and recordings==

Bramwell Smith wrote "Training for reality," Music Journal, Jan 1965. Bramwell Smith music is recorded in several albums: as a soloist trumpet player on the album "Bram Smith and His Trumpet" in 1957 published on the Golden Crest (CR 4012); as a conductor of the RCMP in "Dynamic Sound" in 1972 (Polydor 2917–068) and featured in the film Artistry in Brass. ==Family==

Bramwell Smith's son, Sergeant Major William Bramwell Smith, III, would be taught by him and later studied in Toronto with Arnie Chycoski and Don Johnson. In 1974 Bramwell Smith, III, became a trumpeter with Nimmons 'N' Nine Plus Six. He also was a trumpeter in the US Army Band and a non-commissioned officer in charge (NCOIC) of the Herald Trumpets, where he performed the part of the high E-flat soprano. == Death ==

William Bramwell Smith Jr. died on August 4, 1993, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. == References ==