Launched in July 2022, William Smith’s debut album comprises a selection of six original compositions which he wrote over a period of four years during his stay in the Netherlands while studying for his bachelor’s degree in jazz drums between 2017 and 2021.

The music serves as an auditive journal, drawing inspiration from the journey of a young man leaving his home on a Mediterranean island to pursue his dreams and hone his musical skills overseas. The album is about a perception of Malta that exists through absence.

The decision to leave Malta posed several challenges for William: loneliness, self-doubt, homesickness, to name a few, but also provided him with valuable opportunities for introspection, self-reflection, musical and personal growth as well as opportunities to meet like-minded artists and teachers and form new, meaningful connections with them.

The music serves as an auditive journal

COVID-19 also presented an element of frustration due to the closure of the conservatory for some time. All of these aforementioned experiences served as the driving force behind William’s compositions. Having played a selection of these compositions in his final graduation recital at the HKU Conservatory in Utrecht, William’s tutors were full of praise and strongly suggested that an album should be made out of this material.

The album cover; artwork is by the musician’s father, artist and photographer Joseph P Smith.The album cover; artwork is by the musician’s father, artist and photographer Joseph P Smith.

Having finished his studies in 2021 and having had enough time to process the last four years, William felt that it was the perfect time to record and release his debut album. The album features three other musicians and great friends whom he met during his stay in the Netherlands: Prashant Samlal on electric guitar, Murat Ali Cengiz on piano and Jonathan Ho Chin Kiat on double bass.

In August of last year, William left home once again this time for the US, where he commenced studies for a master’s in jazz drums after successfully auditioning at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.

Nomad can be accessed either here or here or here.

 

 

 

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