If a Dunklin R-5 School District student took part in band classes over the past three decades, that young musician studied under band director Doug Smelser.
That will change next school year.
Smelser, 55, of Hillsboro will retire after teaching his last class this school year on May 23, concluding 30 years with the Dunklin district and 33 years overall in education.
He said his work as a band director has been different than a lot of other teaching jobs because he often taught students for several years in a row.
“You know, I’m a one-man band department, so I’ll get them in sixth grade, and if they go all the way through, I’ll have them all the way to their senior year (of high school),” he said. “So, it’s kind of unique. I get to see them go from, basically being little kids until they’re young adults going out into the world. It’s kind of neat.
“That’s one of the neat things, to see them not only progress as musicians, but as people.”
Doug Smelser directs band students during a graduation ceremony in 2022.
Smelser said that some people may have more aptitude for playing instruments than others, but all musicians must put in the time practicing to hone their skills.
“Some kids just pick it up quicker than others, but it takes a lot of work to be good at band,” he said. “I’ve got a former student of mine, he’s getting his doctorate in trumpet performance, and he was not that great of a middle school player. But, through hard work and dedication, he improved himself.”
Under Smelser’s leadership, his high school bands have earned an exemplary rating at the Missouri State High School Association Large Ensemble Festival 20 times, he said.
Former Dunklin band student Andrew Miller – who now teaches Spanish for the school district – credits Smelser for the district’s success in band.
“I remember Mr. Smelser’s first day at (Dunklin) when I was an eighth-grade student,” Miller said. “For the last 16 years we have been colleagues. He also had two of my children in band and helped them make all-state band – a very competitive and difficult accomplishment. Mr. Smelser has had a distinguished career. He has profoundly impacted thousands of lives. Herculaneum may be able to hire another band director, but they’ll never be able to replace Doug Smelser.”
Natalia Garrett, a Herculaneum High School senior who will graduate this month, agrees, adding that students look forward to his classes.
“Mr. Smelser is an amazing band director,” Garrett said. “He truly cares about his students.
“He makes us laugh every day. He makes class fun. And, he knows what he’s doing. He’s very passionate about band.”
Smelser is a 1988 Herculaneum High School graduate. He has an associate degree from Jefferson College, as well as bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education, both from Southeast Missouri State University.
From left, Smelser and students Art McCoy, Andrew Miller and David French react to their state rating at Jefferson College in 1998.
Before joining Dunklin, he began his teaching career in the Twin Rivers School District.
“It’s a little south of Poplar Bluff,” Smelser said. “I taught sixth grade through 12th grade. I was at three different schools each day, two middle schools and one high school.”
As a sideline, Smelser performs as a member of the MOBB, the popular Missouri Big Band.
“I’m a low brass player,” he said. “My main instruments are euphonium and trombone.
“Music is still fun for me. Besides my family, everything I do is centered around music.”
He said that even though he chose a career he loved, he has experienced the same kinds of headaches and joys as other teachers.
“Some days are more fun than others, especially when you’re trying to get teenagers to do what you want,” he said. “I won’t miss being asked ‘Can I go to the bathroom?’
“But, it’s still fun and I’m still having fun doing it. The thing is, kids in band generally want to be there. I’m not retiring because I’m tired of teaching. It’s just, being a band director at even a small school, it’s a lot of work.”
He said he has considered retiring for a while.
“It’s been brewing,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about it the last couple of years. I felt it was just time to go.”
Yet, he said he still gets great satisfaction when a band starts to click under his direction.
“When you really lock in as a group, that is one of my favorite moments (as a teacher),” he said.
Smelser tips his hat to the band director he studied under while attending Dunklin schools.
“I started in the band in 1981 with Dr. Robert Gray,” he said. “He’s the reason I became a band director.”
Gray, who was inducted into the Blackcat Hall of Fame in 2008, died the next year.
Smelser said music will remain an important part of his life in retirement.
“I’ve got some things I’m working on in music,” he said. “I’ll keep a hand in it. What I’m looking forward to is working under my own schedule.”
Dunklin Superintendent Clint Freeman said he respects Smelser for his dedication to students.
“He doesn’t teach for the accolades,” Freeman said. “He doesn’t want attention. He just does it for the kids. Absolutely, he had an effect on students. I wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Smelser and his wife, Robyn, live in Hillsboro. They have two adult children, Brad, 36, the Eureka High School band director, and Drake, 30, who works in the optical field. They both play the guitar.
“Robyn teaches art at Hillsboro Junior High School, the seventh and eighth grades,” Smelser said. “She’s got a little bit longer to go before retiring, about three years.”
He said music has played an important role in his family’s lives.
“I met my wife in band,” he said. “My sister, Jennifer, was a drum major at Herculaneum High School. I was also blessed to have both of my boys in band.”