The University of Texas named Austin-based musician and UT alumnus Darden Smith the first inaugural songwriter in residence as part of a new program. 

The program, started by the College of Fine Arts, aims to integrate the University’s community with Austin’s live music scene. The songwriter will receive a nine-month stipend and conduct workshops, concerts and showcases. Smith will also create new music with credit to the University, bolstering the reputation of the music department. Ramón H. Rivera-Servera, the dean of the College of Fine Arts, said the residency was designed around Smith.

“The idea for the residency was inspired by Darden’s eloquence as an artist that has an awareness of the broader economy, but also both knowledge and financial economies that are key to music production,” Rivera-Servera said.

Throughout his career, Smith released 17 critically acclaimed albums and played on a United States tour with Stevie Nicks. Now, Smith focuses on a different side of the music community.

“I’m more interested in using music in the world as opposed to playing music,” Smith said. “I think I’m at the place where I can use music and use the craft of song to influence how people think.” 

Smith said songwriting has been the main throughline of his life. He believes the program is significant because it gives students a mentor who isn’t a professor, but a genuine musician. Sophia Greenberg, junior art history major and president of the Fine Arts Council, said she chose to come to the University because of programs like this.

“The College of Fine Arts at UT-Austin holds amazing programs in all different disciplines,” Greenberg said in an email. “The new songwriter residency program is yet another example of how the University goes above and beyond to provide both students and those in the Austin community wonderful opportunities for learning and development.”

Smith has not announced residency events yet but is building his calendar for the remaining fall semester. In the meantime, the University created a Spotify playlist for students entitled “Hooked on Darden Smith.” Smith said he is honored to share the power of songwriting and its impact.

“Songs are magical, they hold secrets, they hold dreams, they hold pain, they hold trauma, they hold loss. They hold it all,” Smith said. “Songs that mean something to us, they speak to us and for us at the same time.”