Aspiring Professional Musician Finds Success in Moffitt’s Arts in Medicine Program

Amid life’s highs and lows, it can be hard to find the words to express how you feel. During those moments, Corbin Smith relies on expressing emotions with music, often communicating what words cannot.  His musical journey began in the sixth grade on the trumpet.  At 13, he also taught himself how to play the guitar.

Corbin Smith studied music at the University of South Florida, where he dedicated his time to playing instruments like the guitar. 

“I wanted to be a professional musician, record and tour and do the whole big dream,” Smith said.

During Smith's college years, he learned how to play the piano. His keyboard skills came in handy after he finished his shifts at Moffitt Cancer Center, where he worked part time as a valet.

Smith and Lloyd Goldstein performed together at the cancer center's 2024 Arts in Medicine Holiday Celebration. 

“I would play piano after my shift was over and that was how I got introduced to Lloyd Goldstein who still works at Moffitt as an artist-in-residence,” Smith said.

Fast-forward several years, Smith is now an artist-in-residence himself, working on the same team as Goldstein, both valuable members of Moffitt’s Arts in Medicine Program. The program offers visual art and music for relaxation, resiliency and self-expression. Services include visits to the lobbies, inpatient rooms and clinics, meeting people where they are and offering comfort through creativity. The team also holds  monthly events scheduled throughout the hospital and weekday access to art studios at the Magnolia Campus and the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation Outpatient Center at McKinley.

“It is very powerful for folks when they feel that someone is present with them,” Smith said. “It can go so many ways from people closing their eyes and relaxing, to a loved one holding the patient’s hand as the music plays. It also helps the staff because if their patients are feeling more relaxed, it can make their jobs easier.”

Smith has been in his current role for more than a year. “Every day that I am here I am coming away as a better person,” Smith said. “When they listen to the music, people’s heart rates are slower and they are less worked up. It helps get their mind off everything that is going on.”

Amanda Bonanno, coordinator of the Arts in Medicine Program, sees the tremendous value Smith brings to the cancer center.

“Corbin is a brilliant and talented musician, but more than that, he has the unique ability to notice the opportunity that each moment presents,” Bonanno said. “He understands when it is time to stop playing and when it is time to start listening. This allows space for a genuine connection and a moving interaction.”