Pianist and educator Mary Scott Smith learned early on that music was an integral part of her personhood. As a teenager, she spent two summers at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina and experienced an epiphany in the place she least expected—the choir risers.

“All the piano majors were put in choir, something which I didn’t understand and had a pretty bad attitude about going in,” Mary Scott recalled. “Our first piece was Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, and our conductor was going to be Robert Shaw, the legendary choral conductor and also conductor of the Atlanta symphony. When he arrived and rehearsed us, I began to see that this was going to be an amazing experience. When we performed with the orchestra, it literally blew my mind. I had no idea there was a whole world of music like this. It opened so many doors for me. I knew then and there that music was not just for me, it was me, and that these were my people.”

A native of South Carolina, Mary Scott moved to Texarkana when she married Howard Goode in 2002. In the years since, she has stayed busy, teaching in the music department at Texarkana College for 20 years before retiring in 2021 (though she still teaches as an adjunct). In 2009, she received the TC Endowed Faculty Chair Award for Teaching Excellence. She founded the TC Music Series and co-founded the Texarkana Symphony Orchestra. Though she retired from TSO in 2023, Mary Scott says she still occasionally joins them and regularly accompanies the Texarkana Regional Chorale. She is also the chair of the James Herrin Piano Festival, an annual event held at TC in honor of the late music professor James Herrin.

The local music landscape of today is vastly different than it was in the early aughts, thanks in large part to Mary Scott’s efforts.

“I love teaching people to play well and helping them be their best, and I love bringing great music to our area.”

— Mary Scott Smith

“Texarkana has been a wonderful place for me to use my skills and talents to help bring great music and great music education to our community,” she said. “My time in Texarkana has been the most productive of my life. I consider myself lucky to have lived in a place with so much native talent and resources, and a place that has been so receptive to the arts.”

Mary Scott’s husband was diagnosed with neurological disease in 2017, and after two years of “long and arduous” treatment, he died in 2019, presenting Mary Scott with the greatest challenge of her life: “saying goodbye to him.” The grief was tremendous, but on the other side, Mary Scott discovered that “God had another husband in store for me,” she said.

Mary Scott enjoys bass fishing at Holly Mound Duck Hunting Club.
Submitted photo

One of Howard’s physicians was Dr. C. Jack Smith, a widower and fellow musician. The two fell in love and were married in 2020. “We have so much in common and are both enjoying this precious time together we have been given later in life,” she said.

Mary Scott is a member of the Texarkana Music Teachers Association, the AR-TEX Music Connection, and the Sue Sanderson Garden Club. She and Jack attend Williams Memorial United Methodist Church. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, strolling at the Williams walking track, and otherwise spending time outside with her husband—though “free time” is in short supply.

“I am busy playing, teaching, and supporting music events,” she said. “I love it. I love teaching people to play well and helping them be their best, and I love bringing great music to our area. I want to continue to support all things piano and piano playing, whether that is in church or school or on the stage.”

FSLM ASKED MARY SCOTT …

If you could speak one sentence of wisdom to your past self, what would it be? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Name a woman who inspires you. Clara Schumann, wife of Robert Schumann. She was a great 19th-century pianist who was a wife and mother and a composer as well. She was a great musician throughout her life and an inspiration to many others.

What book are you currently reading? The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

Each woman featured in this issue was chosen by an honoree from last year’s Tribute to Women to be recognized for their extraordinary contributions to the Texarkana community.

Candace Taylor’s Words:

Mary Scott is undeniably a world-class musical gem whom I have been blessed to collaborate with on various musical projects. I remain in awe and appreciation of the dynamic energy brought forth when she graces the piano keys. Time and again, her ability to support and accompany a large ensemble has proven to be a tour de force. Mary Scott’s performances are always solid under pressure, while being generous and honest in spirit. Her contributions to education at Texarkana College, especially the founding of the TC Music Series, and involvement with various music associations continues to reap significant benefits. Through her efforts and leadership, our region’s fellow colleagues/music students/music lovers have been exposed to and inspired by the gifts and talents of other world-class artists. Mary Scott has also set an excellent example to follow in music education. I have witnessed her provide students the type of education, motivation, support, and encouragement necessary to assist them in becoming competent musicians; she has, undoubtedly, been an excellent role model for my daughter who plays piano as well. I am especially thankful for the recognition of Mary Scott’s work through an endowment in her name, established to assist in providing music scholarships for deserving students. Mary Scott and I have had good times and great laughs together, with my most fond memory being from 2014, when we traveled to Italy to perform. True to her form, she played superbly.

Feature Stories

Tribute to Women: Mary Scott Smith