Josh Smelser | Beats, Brews & Buddies | S3 EP2

I was born and raised in the Roanoke Valley. Mom is a classical pianist and was the music director at church and dad sang and played guitar so music was a big part of life from a young age. Started playing trumpet and guitar in middle school but the drum kit was always intriguing to me. When our church switched from hymns to “praise music” we needed a drummer. My parents bought me a drum kit and signed me up for lessons with Jeremy at the fret mill. I was hooked right away!  I studied music at college and since then have made at least a partial living through music at almost every point in my life. Around 2010-2011 I started gigging as a side man on the music scene in Roanoke and have been blessed to play with over a dozen local groups including the Ministers of Soul, Welcome to Hoonah, The Jesse Ray Carter Trio, Cory Campbell, the Big Lick Brass Band, Tom Artwick Trio, $5 Shake, Place Called Home, and more.  I moved my family to Pittsburgh in 2020 where I now work as the Creative Video Manager at a church in the South Hills. My time as a musician in the Roanoke Valley was an incredibly impactful part of my life and I use the lessons I learned as a player on the Roanoke music scene nearly every day. It’s a major blessing in my life to have been a part of this incredible scene!