... is the principal composer for the Pong Unit, the poetry/music band formed by Marc Smith in 1991. In addition to his work with Pong Unit, guitarist Michael Kent Smith is currently partnered with bassist Steve Arens performing in the acoustic duo "One Big Soul". Smith plays mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, lute and banjo, and is preparing a book of guitar transcriptions for the music of Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton and George Gershwin. Since graduating from Elmhurst College in 1986 Michael Kent Smith has appeared on recordings and in concert as a soloist as well as with such groups as singer-songwriter Al Rose's Transcendos, Reggae band Mr. Myers, fellow Pong Unit member Steven Hashimoto’s Mothra and the Traditional jazz ensemble Spatz Studebaker. In 1994 Smith’s rock group First Circle was a finalist in Musician Magazine’s “Best Unsigned Band” competition. In 1987 Smith’s duo with trombonist Dave Gross was awarded the first prize in the jazz combo category at the Elmhurst Jazz Festival and in 1990 Smith took first place in the Illinois Entertainer’s “Chicago’s