When Martha Smither relocated to Hot Springs Village with her husband Wilbur a decade ago, she brought a vital spark to the community. Although she has no children of her own, Martha has been a fairy godmother of sorts to thousands of young people by introducing them to the magic of music and the Arts.

She began volunteering during her career days in Dallas, where her background as an accountant and Vice President of Greyhound Bus Lines gave her an organizational edge. A local non-profit group (now called Big Thought, Inc.) brought Arts workshops into public schools, and Martha was intrigued.

“At the outset,” Martha recalls, “it was about the fact that it was the ‘Arts’ – then we saw that children were learning better in all academic areas.” Longitudinal studies show test scores go up (and behavior improves) when arts programs are integrated into core curricula. “That’s when I got hooked,” she says.

By the time Martha left Texas, Big Thought had ushered arts programs into Dallas schools, libraries, community centers and Juvenile Detention Centers. The organization was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor for the Arts because of its impact on the lives of children.

“I loved moving to the Village, but I missed all the great stuff we’d worked on,” Martha recalls. “Then a friend recruited me for the Education Committee of the Hot Springs/Hot Springs Village Symphony Guild.” The Guild, a supportive arm of the

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, brings ASO string quartets (with teacher study guides) into local classrooms. However, when Martha attended the annual ASO Children’s Concert in Little Rock, she saw there were no Hot Springs students in the audience.

Martha learned that, for a price, the ASO would bring the Children’s Concert to Hot Springs. With the support of the Guild’s Board, several grants were drafted and with local philanthropist Dorothy Morris as honorary chair, donations were sought. The result? The first ASO Children’s Concert in Hot Springs took place last Fall before 1,300 enthusiastic fifth-graders in Lakeside’s Athletic Complex. Eight school districts were involved.

Since 2008 was a Presidential election year, the ASO selected American music to coincide with 5th grade curriculum – American history and civics. Selections ranged from Francis Scott Key’s Star-Spangled Banner to Aaron Copland’s Rodeo Suite. “We prepared study guides for the teachers and ‘listening maps’ for the kids,” Martha says. Children received music journals to record their responses and heard recordings of the selections ahead of time. “It was magical,” recalls Martha. “Most of the kids had never seen a symphony.”

Making the music relevant to the curriculum is vital so that students form a context and the event does not constitute what Martha calls “drive-by art.” Next Fall’s program, “Landscapes In Music,” has a science/geography focus, featuring composers whose works were inspired by a

beautiful place or historical setting. The Guild is seeking extra funding for an additional performance to reach more students.

Martha applauds her fellow Committee members and volunteers that pitch in to provide logistics and grow the programs. The Guild recently partnered with the Hot Springs Village Community Foundation to bring the All-American Boys’ Chorus to Hot Springs for a performance before 1,000 elementary students.

The Guild also provides scholarships, music equipment, in-school Educational Concerts, and funding for summer music camps. Recipients of this year’s Music Majors Scholarships are: Dustin Nicholson, Lake Hamilton; Joel Coleman, Lakeside; Keith Fahad, Lake Hamilton; Jakeb Coy, Jessieville; Emily Tucker, Cutter Morning Star; Alex Wright, Jessieville; and Brynn Hobbs, Jessieville.

“We now have some strong troops behind this effort,” Martha says. “The Village Players; Altrusa; retired educators, and other Hot Springs and Hot Springs Village organizations.” Martha urges fellow music lovers to join in bringing the sound of music into the lives of schoolchildren by calling the Guild’s Membership Director, Joann Major, at 501.922.6773.