Originally, Mark Victor Smith trained to pursue a career in education. However, attending the University of Michigan School of Music gave him a well-rounded musical and academic grounding (including piano, organ and voice) so that after two years of teaching in the public schools he was able to go full time into music ministry in the Chicago area.

St. Barbara's Roman Catholic Church in Chicago provided another great training opportunity. As associate director of music, Smith was able to draw on the creative energies of the music director Robert J. Battastini (just recently retired as chief editor of G.I.A. Publications, a major religious music publishing house). And, he was also able to take advantage of the opportunity to help out with the music for Archdiocesan events and other workshops, both singing and playing. While at St. Barbara's, he did short organ recitals to begin Evensong Services during Lent and Advent, even using a male "schola" to sing chants on which the organ pieces were based.

Bit by the theater bug, Smith decided to come closer to New York City, settling in Schenectady. For four years, Smith traveled to the Big Apple to take voice lessons and auditioned for shows for regional and summer stock theaters. While living in Schenectady, by 1988 he was a man of all trades: organist at St. George's Episcopal Church in Schenectady, accompanist for the Burnt Hills Oratorio Society, tenor soloist for various concerts, including Burnt Hills and a teacher to 21 students in piano, organ and voice.

Smith finally moved to the city in 1989 to pursue a singing career, acting and singing in many small opera and theater productions throughout the region. In particular, The American Chamber Opera Company gave Smith many roles in contemporary opera productions, including some new, very challenging works. Smith also sang as a soloist/section leader at West End Collegiate Church and offered his talent as a composer by premiering an anthem for Thanksgiving and a song cycle for tenor and organ.

Smith said that since his singing career was reaching a dead end he started to play again, taking organist positions (chapel organist, PolyPrep Day School; organist, Salem Lutheran Church and organist at St. John's Episcopal, Bay Ridge). Smith also moved into the impresario realm, presenting soprano/alto song concerts (Songs for Summer Solstice, A Potpourri of Song) as accompanist/producer.

Although no longer at PolyPrep, he is still accompanist for the St. John's University Mixed Chorus. Until it consolidated with another synagogue in New Hyde Park this past summer, Temple Israel of Jamaica was happy to employ Smith as music director/accompanist. In addition, Smith picks up gigs as both an organist and a pianist/accompanist like at Deer Park High School, playing throughout the region and has presented organ concerts (some with soprano soloists) in such venues as St. Ann and the Holy Trinity of Brooklyn Heights. Mark Victor Smith is looking forward to a long stay at St. David's. He hopes that he can bring musical and spiritual joy to Massapequa Park and the surrounding communities with additional musical events at St. David's.

Every class of 3- and 4-year-old children who attend the St. David's Evangelical Lutheran Church Preschool in Massapequa Park has a Class Photo Day.

Arranged by Robin Lever, director of the school , a professional photographer comes to the school and sets up for the class photo that the children bring home to their parents. During the school year when class projects, holiday programs and class trips are held, photos are always taken by the teachers or the school public relations department and submitted to the local newspapers. When the photos are published in the papers, they are cut out and displayed on the hall bulletin board for all to see.