Making Your Dreams Come True: An Interactive Talk with the Legendary Paul Reed Smith

Fri, Sep 23 2022, 11:30am - 1:30pm
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Nancy R. and Norton T. Dodge Performing Arts Center
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Auditorium
Intended Audience
Faculty
Staff
Students
Alumni

Join the legendary guitar maker Paul Reed Smith on Friday, September 23 at 11:30 a.m. for an interactive talk to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Performing Arts Center & Learning Commons. This event is open to SMCM students, faculty, staff and alumni. 

Paul Reed Smith is a guitar maker, musician, founder, and managing general partner of Paul Reed Smith Guitars and has held that position for over 35 years. PRS Guitars is the third largest U.S. manufacturer of electric guitars. Paul made his first playable guitar for extra credit at St. Mary's College. For decades, Paul has built instruments for internationally famous musicians including Carlos Santana and John Mayer, utilizing his fundamental grasp of how to incorporate physics, woodworking, practical engineering, graphic mathematics and art into world-renowned products. Paul has instruments on display in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Additionally, Paul is a founder and manager of a new start-up, Digital Harmonic. The fundamental technology of Digital Harmonic was developed by Paul and his father, Jack W. Smith, who was an applied mathematician. What started as an experiment for measuring waveforms from a guitar string to create a new guitar synthesizer ended up producing a technology that could truly revolutionize the practice of signal and imaging processing. Both companies combined hold over 100 registered trademarks and nearly three dozen patents.

Balcony seating is recommended for those who can't stay for the full event. Bon Appetit lunch hours will be extended from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Friday 9/23.

Lecture