Director inspired by high school teacher

By Margaret Bikman

BELLINGHAM, WA == Ryan Smit, who grew up in rural farming community of Churchill, Mont., is in his first season as artistic director of the Bellingham Chamber Chorale, which performs its first concert of the season (twice) at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church. For more on the chorale, go to bellinghamchamberchorale.org.

Question: Have you always enjoyed singing?

Answer: I loved singing from an early age and sang in all of our school choirs and our church choir. I also got a little taste of conducting in high school with our school concert choir and with a local community group, the Gallatin Valley Male Chorus.

Q: Who were some of your mentors?

A: My inspiration in high school was my high school choir teacher, the late Mark Tyers. His passion and love for music was contagious. He also helped me audition for and gain acceptance into all-state and all-Northwest regional honor choirs, and these experiences opened my eyes to what was truly possible in choral singing artistically and emotionally. Another mentor of mine is Benjamin Kornelis, director of choral activities at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa (where I earned my bachelor’s degree in choral and instrumental music education). He continued to fan the flame of my own passion for choral music and exposed me to a wealth of great choral literature. He was also instrumental in providing me with my basic choral conducting and rehearsal skills. I also learned an immense amount about musicianship and excellence in choral singing during my time living in Phoenix and singing tenor for Charles Bruffy in the Phoenix Chorale. I was fortunate to be a part of four recording projects with the Phoenix Chorale, two of which later earned Grammy Awards in 2008 and 2009.