BBMS Orchestra Directors

Lamar Smith

Mr. Smith is starting his third year at BBMS in the fall of 2008.  Before that, he taught at Creekview High School, where he was the Assistant Orchestra director for four-and-a-half years.  Prior to his position at CHS, he did his student teaching in the Newman Smith High School cluster.  Mr. Smith got his start in C-FB teaching private viola and violin lessons at Vivian Field Middle School and R. L. Turner High School.

A 2001 graduate of the University of North Texas, Mr. Smith also spent a year at Ohio State University.  He is a product of Texas public schools and attended school in Pasadena ISD, near Houston.  While a student at South Houston High School, Mr. Smith achieved the honor of All-State Orchestra musician all four years.  Viola teachers, orchestra directors, and other mentors include Charlotte Eads, Penelope Meitz, Michele Ham, Michael Fahey, Stuart Eisen, Edward Adelson, Susan Dubois, Karrell Johnson, and Robert Gillespie.

As a violist, Mr. Smith has performed all over the D-FW Metroplex and in the Houston area.  Orchestral engagements have included the Richardson Symphony, the Garland Symphony and the Dallas Chamber Orchestra.  He also plays in weddings and at other events very frequently, and he belongs to the Peters Colony Quartet, a community chamber music ensemble that presents free, educational concerts.  Other musical involvement includes membership in the Sanctuary Choir and Sanctuary Ringers at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas.

When Mr. Smith is not at BBMS, he is probably at his little white house in one of the oldest parts of Carrollton, puttering around and dealing with his temperamental orange cat, Fred, and his much sweeter cat, Sophie.  He loves to cook, garden, hike, camp, play computer games, read, and participate in church activities.  When he has the opportunity, he likes to visit his dad in the Houston area, and, more exotically, his mother in Jamaica!

Mr. Smith's dad is a retired P.E. teacher, his mom is a missionary teacher in Tower Isle, Jamaica, and his sister is now Dr. Smith, as her PhD in English at UNT is complete.  He also enjoys playing with his honorary nieces and nephews, Maike, Juliana, Diego, and Noah.

Lauren Hartin

As a proud product of CFBISD (McLaughlin Elementary, Field MS and Turner HS), Mrs. Hartin is thrilled to be starting her teaching career at Bush Middle School!  In May of 2008 Mrs. Hartin graduated from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas at Austin.  While there she had the opportunity to study music education with Drs. Bob Duke, Laurie Scott and Jacqueline Henninger.  As a violinist she studied with Dr. Eugene Gratovich, Pasha Sabouri and Brian Lewis. 

Mrs. Hartin finally married her high school sweetheart, Paul, in June 2008 and they live in Carrollton with their two kitties, Milo and Belle.  In her free time Mrs. Hartin likes to play Wii, visit with her mom (who is a teacher at Perry MS), bake, cook, read, play with her kitties, watch college football (Go Horns!) and watch/go to Dallas Stars hockey games.