Hailing from upstate New York, Joanna Smith started her musical journey on the piano in 2nd grade. Two years later she joined her elementary school’s orchestra on upright bass and has been honing her craft ever since. She received her BA in music from the University of Mary Washington in 2012, spending four years in the UMW Philharmonic and Jazz Band studying under Chief Master Sgt. Paul Henry. Joanna has been playing upright and electric bass professionally for the past ten years. Now local to Fredericksburg, Virginia, she can often be seen playing with various groups in styles ranging from jazz to bluegrass and rock. Joanna regularly plays in the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts’ pit orchestra. Her most recent projects include playing bass for The Kingbolts, Cat Janice Band, The Dangerous Kitchen Band, and Jon Tyler Wiley & His Virginia Choir. She teaches private lessons virtually (Skype, Facetime, Zoom, etc) and in person at Bang! Music, Inc.

 

Continue reading the rest of this interview at No Treble magazine here.