Dr. Keith Smolinski Honored for 20 Years of Service as Music Director

On Sunday, the parish of Our Lady of the Assumption Church celebrated an important anniversary for their music director. Dr. Keith Smolinski of Woodbridge has served as the director of music at the parish for 20 years.

The parish community expressed their gratitude for his 20 years of dedicated service and demonstrated in a big way that they look forward to many more years.

Smolinski spent a large portion of these twenty years working with the late Monsignor Gene Gianelli. Fr. Gene hired him when he was only 23 years old, and originally the idea was to help carry the choir through the Christmas season.

“At the time, I was nervous, unsure if I could handle the responsibility of leading such an accomplished group, " Smolinski wrote at the time of the beloved pastor’s death.

“Father Gene never had a doubt in his mind. He helped guide me through the process, and gave me spiritual guidance when I needed it, gave me motivation to do my absolute best, and always trusted my decisions.”

Smolinski was especially grateful for the late priest’s generosity. “His ability to understand the balance of work life, family life, and spiritual life and his ability to foster the trust of his community was nothing short of amazing.

When “Fr. Gene” passed away in 2020 , the role of the music director’s biggest fan was passed along to the choir members, both current and former.

The music director is in charge of planning the liturgical music throughout the year and directing both the large adult and the wonderful children’s choir at the church. Smolinski sometimes accompanies the singers on the church organ, but he is at his best when he sits behind the keyboard of the magnificent grand piano at the side of the church.

During his tenure as musical director, Smolinski has shared many original liturgical compositions with the adult choir, each one more impressive than the last one they learned. He also often writes a new arrangement for a church standard or something more contemporary.

Prior to the pandemic, he wrote original settings for every responsorial psalm in all three cycles of the Sunday Masses. This massive undertaking was especially time consuming because each response is written in four-part harmony and includes a specific melody for the correct text of the verses.

I recently was honored to have an original composition performed by the choir at St. Vincent Ferrer Church for First Communion, so I experienced the feeling of pride that this talented composer must feel when he hears his work performed. My “church songs” (as my children refer to them) are certainly not of the same caliber as this gifted musician.

During the pandemic, he made a recording of a new musical setting of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and shared it with members of the choir and congregation that were staying home.

Dr. Smolinski, who holds a doctorate in education, is a 7th Grade Earth Science Teacher for the Amity Public Schools. At Amity Middle School in Bethany, he has served as musical director for several shows sponsored by the generous Jamie Hulley Arts Foundation. He has proudly invited me to attend a rehearsal or performance.

As a musician, he is a member of West Rock, a band that has appeared at several local venues and at the Woodbridge Town Green. As a solo act, he has accompanied himself on keyboard outdoors at Billy’s Ice Cream in Bethany.

Smolinski expressed his gratitude to the adult and children’s choir and the entire parish community for the anniversary celebration. He called the day “one that will never be forgotten. I was so humbled by the outpouring of love and gratitude.”

Choir member Bill Purcell shared that the choir performed a personalized adaptation of a classic Christmas Song, “The Keith 20th Anniversary Song,” and a video tribute that was put together by Trish and John DiBuduo was presented during the celebration in the church hall.

The music director recognized that there was a significant amount of effort, planning and coordination involved in the event. “I have NEVER experienced anything so moving and heartfelt,” he said.

At the risk of forgetting someone, he made sure to thank Susan Taddei, Trish Dibuduo, Margaret Hamilton, Barbara Thompson, Mary Hill, Barbara B., Mary Grace Crisci, Susan Antinozzi, and all the young parishioners that helped to serve food and clean up.

The music director also wanted to thank each and every person who has been part of the church choir for the last 20 years. “You have been such a significant part of my life and I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you,” Smolinski said.

The members of the adult and children’s choir presented their director with a special gift, a gift certificate for Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam. “The Goodspeed has always been a favorite place of ours to see a show and I look forward to taking the kids there.”

Smolinski’s wife Elizabeth “Liz” Smolinski often serves as cantor at the church. The couple has two young sons.

Smolinski wrote that it is “such an honor to be part of such a vibrant and appreciative community,” but to me, the parish community is blessed to have him leading the music ministry for them.

Congratulations to Dr. Smolinski on this glorious achievement and for sharing his gift of music with the church community and beyond. As he himself wrote, “Here's to another twenty!”