Dr. E. Diane Lyle-Smith was the Queen of Vashon High School in 1971. She was the President of Bands and Solo Trumpeter under the direction of the last two great African-American Band Directors at Vashon, Dr. Earl O' Hara Spearman and Mr. Wayman D. Mickens. Dr. Spearman became the first African-American Music Supervisor of the St. Louis Public Schools during her senior year.

Diane was also the President of the Girls Recreation Association under former Vice Principal and Coach Francis Wright. Under the tutelage of Dr. Spearman, Mr. Mickens and Coach Wright, Diane received scholarships in music from Hampton University in Hampton, VA, and track at Tennesee State University in Nashville, TN. during her junior year at Vashon. She also played first trumpet in the 1000 All City Band performance of the St. Louis Blues by W.C. Handy at the Kiel Auditorium. She was also one of the first African-Americans to perform in the St. Louis Youth Symphony Orchestra. Diane was a four year full scholarshjp student who studied music privately under Mr. Mickens at the Community Association of Schools for the Arts.

In 1971, Diane enrolled at Hampton as a full time music education student with an emphasis on the trumpet. She became the President of Bands at Hampton and received her B.S. degree in Music Education in 1975. While at Hampton, Diane became the solo trumpeter of the Pennisula Opera Orchestra and the first trumpeterof the marching and jazz bands. Diane received a graduate assistantship to further her education in music at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. In 1977, Diane graduated with a M.M. in Music Education.

Diane continued to further her studies in music. In 1993, she was granted the Ph. D. in Music Education from the University of North Texas in Denton, TX.

Additional studies in music includes:

St. John's Univ.;NY,NY; Univ. of Senegal, Senegal, West Africa; Forbay College, Freetown, Sierre Leone, West Africa; Monmouth University, Monmouth, NJ

Diane's professional career includes the following:
Teaching/Directing/Conducting:

1. She has performed on the trumpet for over forty years.
2. She is the first woman band director in the CIAA-1977
3. She is the first woman band director at Fayetteville State Univ., Fay., NC-1977
4. She is the first woman band director at Xavier Univ., New Orleans, LA-1980
5. She is the first woman band director at Bishop College, Dallas, TX-1984
6. She is the first Coordinator of Instrumental Music at Lincoln Univ., Oxford, PA-1990
7. She is the first woman band director at East Camden Middle School, Camden, NJ-1990
8. She is the first band director at Dr. Brimm Medical Arts High School, Camden, NJ-2009
9. She is the second African-American to recieve the Ph. D. in Music Education
Univ., of North Texas, Denton, TX-1993

Performances on Trumpet/Directing/Conducting:

Performed in the last big band which Miles Davis performed in before becoming famous
The George Hudson Band-St. Louis, Mo
Carnegie Hall with Hampton Choirand Brass Ensemble NY,NY
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Hampton's Band) Wash., DC
USA Virgin Islands (Hampton's Wind Ensemble) St.Croix, St. Thomas, and St. Johns, USA
Apollo Theatre Winner (2), NY, NY
Off Broadway Musical RAISIN with Thalmus Rasuala of award winning TV prod. ROOTS
Music Performing and Lecture Tours: Jamaica school of the Arts-Kingston and Ochios Rios, Jamaica
Jazz Ambassador to the United States with Xavier Univ., Jazz Combo-Quito, Equador, SA
Other performance tours: Milan, and Matera, Italy; Senegal, Mali, Gambia, Sierre Leone, West African
International Music Tour with Burning Spear and His Burning Band-throughout the USA and Canada

Owner of Record Lable: LYLE RECORDS-Phil., P-1996
Casette Recording: Introducing Dr. E. Diane Lyle-Smith, Trumpets with the music of Miles, Monk and Others... LYLE RECORDS

Dissertation: Major Nathanie Clark Smith (1877-1933): African American Musician, Music Educator and Composer.

(Presently working on Memiors)


With highest honors to submit to Vashon High School; the place where this all began

Thanks
signed by Dr. E. Diane Lyle-Smith