David began his musical career at the age of 13 as a trombonist for Barnstaple Town Military Band and Bideford Town Brass Band. In 1987, he joined the Army and was posted to the Band of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. During his two years at the Royal Military School of Music, David took a change of course, studying flute and classical piano under Graham Mayger and Veronica Clayton respectively. It was while he was at Kneller Hall that David discovered his passion forwriting band arrangements.
After postings to Northern Ireland and Cyprus in the early nineties, David successfully passed an audition for the Life Guards Band of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. During a series of summer concerts with the Life Guards Band, David was persuaded by the Director of Music to take yet another musical change: he became the principal oboist of the Band, a position that he held until he left the army in 1998.
The Director of Music
David A. Vaninetti-Smart FLCM
David began his musical career at the age of 13 as a trombonist for Barnstaple Town Military Band and Bideford Town Brass Band. In 1987, he joined the Army and was posted to the Band of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. During his two years at the Royal Military School of Music, David took a change of course, studying flute and classical piano under Graham Mayger and Veronica Clayton respectively. It was while he was at Kneller Hall that David discovered his passion forwriting band arrangements.
After postings to Northern Ireland and Cyprus in the early nineties, David successfully passed an audition for the Life Guards Band of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. During a series of summer concerts with the Life Guards Band, David was persuaded by the Director of Music to take yet another musical change: he became the principal oboist of the Band, a position that he held until he left the army in 1998.
The Director of Music
David A. Vaninetti-Smart FLCM
David began his musical career at the age of 13 as a trombonist for Barnstaple Town Military Band and Bideford Town Brass Band. In 1987, he joined the Army and was posted to the Band of the Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment. During his two years at the Royal Military School of Music, David took a change of course, studying flute and classical piano under Graham Mayger and Veronica Clayton respectively. It was while he was at Kneller Hall that David discovered his passion forwriting band arrangements.
After postings to Northern Ireland and Cyprus in the early nineties, David successfully passed an audition for the Life Guards Band of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. During a series of summer concerts with the Life Guards Band, David was persuaded by the Director of Music to take yet another musical change: he became the principal oboist of the Band, a position that he held until he left the army in 1998.
The Director of Music
David A. Vaninetti-Smart FLCM
The Director of Music
David A. Vaninetti-Smart FLCM
David began his musical career at the age of 13 in his home town in North Devon. In 1987, he joined the Army and where he finished his career as principal oboist of the Life Guards Band of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in 1998.
His musical portfolio since leaving the military has grown from strength to strength with performing with many music groups and the formation of his own ensemble ' Regency Wind Quintet'.
From 2003-2013, David was appointed Director of Music of Farnborough Concert Band of the Royal British Legion, Hamphire. During this time, he was asked to compose a march to mark the last ever awards ceremony of the Surrey Ambulance Service prior to its merger with Sussex and Kent Services in 2007. ‘The Rod and Serpent (The March of Surrey Ambulance Service)’ was received with great aplomb.
In 2008 David was appointed the Musical Director for the Odiham and District Scout Fellowship Pantomime, arranging the performance music for the pit orchestra.
In the same year. David’s work entered the realm of popular culture: providing a band for MTV's Gonzo's 5th Birthday Party in Shepherds Bush, and the following year as a direct result of the success at MTV he was invited to arrange an ensemble to perform at the popular Field Day Festival in London. An NME review of the 2009 festival praised the band as "the hardest working musicians on site".
Following on from the success of the performances at the Field Day Festival, David was asked to provide similar line-up for the Brit Awards in 2011. At the VIP after show party, Cee-Lo Green conducted David's cover of 'Forget You'. David returned as the musical director for the 2012 Brit Awards after-show party.
and other notable performances followed. In 2011, David acted as the Musical Director for Brighton F.C., providing a band to perform at the opening of the new stadium in front of a crowd of 17,000 football fans.
As the Musical Director of the Aldershot Proms Extravaganza concert in 2012, David worked with the highly acclaimed Salisbury Plain and Aldershot Military Wives Choirs. For this event he was asked to arrange the Queen's Diamond Jubilee song 'Sing' composed by Gary Barlow and Andrew Lloyd Webber, which has subsequently been used by the Central Band of the Royal Air Force and The Band of The Royal Logistic Corps.
In 2009 David was attained the Licentiate diploma for Conducting from the London College of Music, and then awarded a Fellowship in 2016 with the attestation that "David demonstrates admirable integrity, knowledge, dedication, focus and brings a great deal to the symphonic wind band world".