Joseph C. Smith
A composer, arranger, orchestrator, producer, performer, educator, and college administrator, Joe has a broad and diverse musical vocabulary spanning many genres, with professional experience in all.
As a composer, arranger, and orchestrator for film and television, he has worked on a range of projects including Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, National Geographic, Bull Durham, and Missing in Action 3. Joe also served as Dean of the Professional Writing Division at Berklee College of Music for 10 years and was a Professor in the Film Scoring and Contemporary Writing and Production Departments.
As a performer on French horn and electric bass, he has played in ensembles ranging from blues bands to symphony orchestras. As a composer and arranger, he has contributed to live and
recording projects for such artists as Kenny Loggins and Leni Stern; musical reviews; jazz ensembles; television; films; and studio orchestras.
Joe holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from West Virginia University, a professional diploma in arranging and composition from Berklee College of Music, and an M.M. in media writing and production from the University of Miami. He is a member of The Society of Composers & Lyricists, ASCAP, and the Los Angeles Musicians Union. He currently lives in the Berkshires with his wife Christianna Kavaloski, (a brilliant and talented ballet teacher).
Gerald M. Connell
Gerry is a tradesman, actor, TV host, and construction consultant who has been composing music his entire life. Boston born and raised in Lexington Massachusetts, he began piano lessons at 8 years old with Chester Sheldon Cook, and later enrolled at the New England Conservatory studying with Boston Pops and BSO pianists Charles Tinsley and Robert Winter. He declined an invitation for college placement, as there were no intercollegiate sports at NEC; and attended Dean College, Temple University, graduating UMass Amherst, and paying his way playing piano at “The Pub”.
After college he worked concrete and steel, and along the way, met an agent who dared him to try acting. He did, was cast in the first I Love New York commercial in 1977; Lincoln’s Aide-Jumping Jack Flash 1985 and in 1989, rather than pursue the role of Mr. Belding on Saved by the Bell, he opted to keep his family on the East Coast hosting Better Your Home with Better Homes & Gardens. Gerry continued to host, with writing and production credits for Discovery/TLC’s first home-improvement series The Home Pro, Broderbund Software’s CD 3D Home Architect and 6 years as home-improvement and consumer contributor to Good Morning America. Gerry returned to commercial construction as an engineering consultant in the mid 90’s with high profile projects that included steel package inspections at the World Trade Center, all while continuing to compose, and search for an orchestrator.
Gerry is a member of ASCAP, Screen Actors Guild and AFTRA and lives with his wife Peg in their nearly 200-year-old, hand restored Berkshire farmhouse.