Kreston Sm.-

Since the age of 3, Kreston has been playing an instrument. He started banging notes to chinese sounding pentatonic scales on the black keys until his grandmother taught him Amazing Grace around the age of 5. He took piano lessons for a couple of years when he entered middle school around the time he picked up the guitar and saxophone.

In 1995, Kreston took his passion for music more seriously and started his education degree. Over the next 14 years, he got married, had a family and worked at a couple of different jobs until starting his own music tutoring service, Bartlett Music Academy. Today, Bartlett Music Academy is also a store that serves as a place of employment for 17 Degreed Music Educators and provides retail sales and repair services for aspiring and professional musicians all over the Mid-South.  He also served as music director at two different churches and was the Jazz Band Director for Arlington High School from 2005 - 2010. He took the AHS Jazz Band to many festivals including the GPAC Jazz Festival whIere his group earned all Superior ratings. In 2009, Kreston graduated Magna Cum Laude with his Music Education Degree from the University Memphis. After graduation, he took a full-time teaching contract as an Elementary Music Teacher with Tipton County Schools at Munford Elementary.

Over the years, Kreston has had the priviledge of studying, recording, and/or playing with many Local and World Famous Musicians. Including but not limited to: Michael Scott, Charles Johnson, Rick Forbus, Kim Trammell, James Sexton, Jeff Kirk, Dave Lisik, Tony Thomas, Tim Goodwin, Allen Rippe, Dr. Jack Cooper, Marvin Stamm, Bob Brookmeyer, Alvin Batiste, James Williams, Tony Reedus, Eric Marienthal, Paul Morelli, David Spencer, Bob Berg, Gary Buss, Erroll Thomas, Brian Neal, Bily Reasons, Black Dog Records, Larry Jacks, Chris Rutledge, Prentiss Wolf, Corey Osborn, David "Fathead" Newman, Kevin Hallmann and many more.

Kreston has had the honor of teaching over 30,000 hours of music since 1993. This teaching experience has given him the tools to communicate effectively and deliver a well rounded lesson rich in both legit and jazz traditions. Along with the saxophone, Kreston also plays keyboards, guitar, clarinet, flute, bassoon, oboe and arranges and produces music for himself and others on occasion.  Visit "THE MUSIC" page to view some of his projects.