UT News goes in depth with Darden Smith, a Longhorn alumnus and the inaugural songwriter-in-residence at The University of Texas at Austin. Smith discusses his childhood and his time on the Forty Acres, his early days in the music industry, and what he hopes to accomplish with UT students.
Over his 35-year career, Smith has released 15 critically acclaimed studio albums and recorded singles found on both the country and pop charts, penned a symphony, scored works for theater and dance, published a book on creativity, exhibited works of visual art, and co-founded the non-profit SongwritingWith:Soldiers program, which pairs veterans with musicians to tap into the transformational possibilities of collaborative songwriting. In a separate video, Smith opines on a long list of songwriters, their influence on him and on American popular music.
He spoke with UT News in the Cactus Cafe, the storied campus venue where he has played more than 40 times.
In the “Songwriters Bonus” video below, Smith opines on a long list of songwriters, their influence on him and on American popular music.
