Michael Charles Smith composed The First Steps in a New Direction during his early years of study at the University of Oregon. As a young performer with a newfound passion for the marimba, the central motive in this piece was one of the first ideas he ever composed. After spending some time developing this idea, Smith found himself with a fully fleshed out composition and thus took his music career in a new direction. The First Steps in a New Direction ships in a printed, professionally bound folio with a full color cover.