Musicians to share knowledge of career Two Maine natives to tour high schools

Many youths, while growing up, dream of becoming a music star.

Now three professional musicians, two of whom are Maine natives, are touring state schools with the message that the music industry has many career choices both inside and outside of the spotlight.

Scotty Huff, a guitarist in Keith Urban’s band and a trumpeter; Robert Reynolds of the Mavericks and Joe Smyth of Sawyer Brown now are on the “Down the Road: A Discussion of Music as a Profession” tour, hitting 19 schools in nine days.

The tour was originally the idea of Huff, a 1986 Stearns High School graduate, and Reynolds. They first took a smaller such tour through Maine in 2000.

“Most music programs visiting schools are performance-based, which is wonderful,” said Huff, 35. “But it’s a rare opportunity to talk with these professionals. How often do you get to ask questions of a Grammy winner?”

Huff and Reynolds have known each other since late 1997, when Huff and his horn section, the Havana Horns, joined with the Mavericks. (Huff hooked up with Urban in 2001, during a long hiatus by the Mavericks.)

The pair also scores children’s animated films as a side project, and frequently uses drummer Smyth, a Westbrook High School graduate, in the studio.

“We have a great time working together,” said Huff by phone from his home in Nashville, Tenn. “Joe teaches when he’s not on tour. He came to us and expressed an interest in doing the school tour. We saw that as a good reason to get another one organized.”

Each of the school sessions begins with a video reel

designed to introduce the students to the three musicians. They then will discuss the music industry and how they established themselves in it. Finally, they will take questions from students about how to realize their career goals.

The son of a longtime music educator, Huff earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Southern Maine in 1991, and taught for a time. But what he really wanted to do was perform, so he moved to Nashville in 1997. He also has toured with Natalie Cole and Manhattan Transfer and recorded with K.T. Oslin. Last year he released his solo debut album, “Assorted.”

“Speaking as a kid from Millinocket, I learned so much after I got to Nashville at the age of 29,” Huff recalled. “I wish I’d known this back in high school.”

Huff hopes that the “Down the Road” tour, partially underwritten by American Music of Falmouth, the Starbird Music Mall of Portland, Promark Drumsticks and Fender Guitars, can help students in the same position in which he used to be.

“We want to give them an awareness of the careers that are available in the music industry, by telling them how we pursued our dreams and showing them how they can pursue theirs,” he added.

Dale McGarrigle can be reached at 990-8028 and dmcgarrigle@bangordailynews.net.

‘Down the Road’ presentation schedule

. Thursday, Jan. 29: 8 a.m., Old Town High School; 11 a.m., Messalonskee High School, Oakland; TBA, Lawrence High School, Fairfield.

. Friday, Jan. 30: 9:30 a.m., Houlton High School (with Ashland Community High School).

. Monday, Feb. 2: 8 a.m., Stearns High School, Millinocket; 1 p.m., Hampden Academy.

. Tuesday, Feb. 3: 9 a.m., Greenville High School; 11 a.m., Foxcroft Academy, Dover-Foxcroft; 1 p.m., Dexter High School.

. Wednesday, Feb. 4: 10 a.m., Nokomis Regional High School, Newport; 1 p.m., Bangor High School.