the 24th annual

WinterStar Symposium: Vision Quest

Exploring Realms of Consciousness

Chas Smith holds a Master's Degree in Music from Cleveland State University, where his class "Roots of Rock, Soul and American Grassroots Culture" is the largest-attendance class offered (over 200 each quarter). He is the author of From Woodstock to the Moon: The Cultural Evolution of Rock Music and The Soul of Sunrise: Grassroots Music in America. His studies focus on composition, ethno-music and electro-acoustics, and he has given a lecture series for the Cleveland Clinic advocating alternative ideas in music therapy. He's been an avid proponent for exploring alternative ideas in music therapy, and a strong advocate of bringing the musical arts and science together in academic environments; and he works with the Cleveland Opera as a music mentor in grade schools. Smith has been playing keyboards and singing for over 30 years in just about every genre of music imaginable. He directs and plays keyboards, bass and theremin for Einstein's Secret Orchestra (AKA Einstein’s Stardust Outlaws), and has programmed and created soundscapes for ESO Swamp Radio at WCSB 89.3 FM in Cleveland since 1987.