Brad Smith, Hal Leonard VP, Music Advocate & Guitarist

Many musicians, students and teachers know of Hal Leonard Corporation. This year, the world’s largest music content publisher is celebrating its 75th anniversary. I’ve been there for 29 of the years and have witnessed how Hal Leonard continues to diversify its role in the music products industry. As VP of the distribution division, we leverage this industry position to work with many advocacy groups that help the entire music community. This may be an aspect of Hal Leonard that is less familiar to people. 

Hal Leonard has supported my efforts allowing me serve on the executive boards of non-profit advocacy groups including the Percussion Marketing Council and the Guitar and Accessories Marketing Association. The national programs bring drumming, percussion and guitars into schools and other places to encourage beginners to start playing music. One of my proudest projects was serving on the planning committee to install a long-overdue permanent Les Paul exhibit in the Waukesha County Historical Museum, the home of the Wizard of Waukesha. 

This year, we helped outfit a new Boys & Girls Club music studio with recording gear and instruments. This pilot program at the Milwaukee Academy of Science is co-produced by Note for Notes and is poised to go national to help kids learn about recording and all aspects of music production. 

I encourage readers to contact us if there is a program that creates more music makers and needs a hand. We will try to help or put you in touch with someone who can. The joy and enrichment that music brings to individuals, families and communities can never be taken for granted. Let’s bring music to more people!

Smith and his band Kitty Soft Paw play at Summerfest on July 8 and at Zoo a la Carte on August 21.

Visit: Hal Leonard

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Photo Credit: Erol Reyal

Brad Smith of Hal Leonard