Belmont Alumnus Ty Smith Returns as Instructor of Songwriting

Full circle moment: Smith encouraged students to level up, have fun in songwriting courses  

Songwriting is more than a passion for Belmont alumnus Ty Smith. It is an unmatched opportunity, allowing him to see the world, explore once-in-a-lifetime experiences and now, return to his Belmont roots and teach the future generation of artists and songwriters in Belmont’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business.  

“It’s been a real honor to graduate as a student and then come back to teach at Belmont,” Smith said. “If you would have told me when I walked out of graduation that I would be teaching all these years later I would not have believed you.”  

Creating His Path 

When Smith graduated from Belmont in 1992, he started his career as many young Nashville musicians and songwriters do, waiting tables with the hopes of touring and playing with well-known artists. Pretty soon, this aspiration became a reality.  

Early on in his career, Smith found himself touring with artists in the Christian music scene like Stephen Curtis Chapman and Wayne Watson, as well as country artists like Ronnie Milsap and Lorrie Morgan. Eventually, Smith decided to make the transition from touring with artists to staying home in Nashville. He quickly discovered a new outlet in writing for television. 

“Music for television had always been around, but I think for Nashville it was newer,” he shared. “I found that and just fell in love with it. This was my sandbox to play in.” 

Smith’s songs have now been featured across a multitude of platforms including NBC’s “The Blacklist,” Fox’s “Star,” ABC’s “The Rookie” and more.

From Industry to Instructor

Now as a Belmont professor, Smith is embracing the unique chance to pay forward the positive experience he had with his professors in the songwriting department, teaching at in the same university he once studied as a student. In classes such as Writing for Sync, Songwriting II, Songwriting Practicum, and Intro to Commercial Songwriting, Smith gets the opportunity to share his passion and expertise with students. 

Smith strikes the perfect balance between rigor and fun in the classroom, equipping songwriting students for the world they are preparing to enter. “I love to put students in situations that are a little bit creatively uncomfortable for them. I always tell them that they are capable of more than they think they can achieve,” he said. “I want them to have fun, but I also want them to level-up. They are going to leave class with some tools in their toolbox that they didn’t come in with”.  

Smith often reminds his students of the successful songwriters who once sat in their seats, including his former student Dasha who wrote the hit song “Austin.” He believes that everyone in the room has the potential to succeed — if they’re willing to work harder than they think is necessary.

Next Level Songwriting 

This past August, Belmont completed the first phase of renovations at 38 Music Square East. Improvements included transforming the Buddy Lee Attractions/Capitol Records building at into a new space for songwriting rooms, listening spaces and live sound classrooms, giving Smith and the songwriting students state of the art facilities to write and learn in.  This new addition to the Belmont’s campus will better equip students with the facilities they need to enhance their learning. 

“We absolutely believe that we have the nicest writing rooms anywhere,” Smith stated. “The tools that students have now as well as the opportunities these rooms will create are amazing.” 

As Smith settles into first year as an instructor of songwriting, he is feeding off his passion for music with the energy of the songwriting students. 

“Seeing the students' hunger in class and trying to help them channel that is a real blessing for me. I get so much energy from them, and I hope they get the same amount from me.”