USAO Music Professor Joshua Smith, son of OKC Bombing survivor, shares hope through teaching
By Bryce McKinnis
USAO Director of Marketing & Communications
OKLAHOMA CITY — University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma assistant professor of music Joshua Smith recalls his baby sitter hurriedly ushering him into his bedroom the morning of April 19, 1995.
“I opened my door and peeked down the hallway to watch the TV, not realizing what was happening. I was too young,” said Smith, 35. “However, the real feelings of fear and anxiety came when my mom and dad did not return home that day until late at night. I stayed awake and waited for them, and in the middle of the night, they sat me down at the table with my mom’s injuries bandaged and explained what happened.”
Kelley M. Kelso, Smith’s mother, worked at the Water Resources Board on the corner of NW 5th Street and Harvey Avenue in Oklahoma City. At 9:02 a.m. that Wednesday morning, political extremist Timothy McVeigh detonated a truck bomb near the north side of the Alred P. Murrah Federal building across the street.
One-hundred-sixty-eight people died. The explosion injured hundreds more, including Kelso. It was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in the country’s history.
“It has made me incredibly grateful for every day that I am able to spend with my mom and all loved ones,” Smith said.
Last Wednesday, Smith took his students to perform at and visit the Oklahoma City
National Memorial. They toured the museum for several hours before performing. As
16 choir members sang pieces like Michael John Trotta’s “Jubilate Deo” by and Jake Runestad’s “Let My Love Be Heard,” Smith reflected on that morning 30 years
ago.
“It’s always surreal to stand in the tension of pain and hope,” Smith said. “There were moments of deep, overwhelming sadness and grief of lives lost and for the trauma that survivors experienced that day, but it’s important to honor them by educating the next generation of the consequences of violence and of the resilience of humanity.”
Before leaving Oklahoma City, Smith gave his students a homework assignment: write a two-paragraph reflection of the trip — creating a critical learning opportunity for his students, most of whom wrote beyond the minimum requirement.
“When we perform music that has a story, the greater we can understand that story allows us to perform with greater sensitivity to the way a composer portrayed it in the music,” Smith said. “Music expresses our emotions in sound and when we know that is our goal, we express with a true sound.”
Smith’s parents instilled in him his love of music and humanitarian belief structure. His childhood consisted of riding to choir events and piano lessons while his parents stimulated his “curiosity in all types of learning, physical, spiritual, mental and social.” Becoming a teacher felt like the logical extension of his talents, which have become increasingly apparent since his hiring to USAO’s full-time faculty in 2023.
“Joshua is rock-star. He was a phenomenal hire,” Dean of the USAO School of Visual & Performing Arts Jordan Vinyard said. “He cares about the students, first and foremost, and they know that because he communicates that care. When you create an environment of trust, it’s so much easier to educate students. They see you as somebody dependable.”
Six days after the OKC trip, Smith’s concert choir, chamber choir and a string quartet
performed another concert commemorating the 30th anniversary of the bombing. “Lux Aeterna” drew the community to First Baptist Church
of Chickasha on Tuesday night, where USAO’s students and accompanying instrumentalists
performed a mix of contemporary and classic music ranging from Mozart to Cyndi Lauper.
There, Smith demonstrated his belief that our deepest emotions can best be expressed through that “true sound” as he conducted a medley of stringed instruments and swelling voices, filling the sanctuary with grief, understanding and hope. Those sounds were only interrupted by a handful of students who chose to share their reflections on the microphone.
Within the same week, Smith received news that he would receive his doctorate of musical arts. Not only has Smith demonstrated a remarkable knowledge of music, but a thoughtfulness towards human life that has allowed him to carve early success as an exemplary instructor.
“Just as Oklahomans had a shared experience of terror, we continue to hope through our shared experiences of healing,” Smith said.
About the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma
As Oklahoma’s liberal arts college, the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma provides a distinctive education in the liberal arts and sciences, supporting both its interdisciplinary core curriculum and major fields of study with superior teaching. USAO fosters diversity of thought and practice to help students realize meaningful, purposeful and productive lives as global citizens in a rapidly-changing world.