As a performing artist, Smallwood has performed as a percussionist, pianist, and electronic musician on laptops, synthesizers, noise generators, and handmade electronic instruments. He has performed with a variety of improvisors including Cor Fuhler, Joe McPhee, Phil Gelb, Todd Reynolds, John Butcher, Mark Dresser, and Pauline Oliveros. As a composer, he has written works for small and large ensembles, including recent works for Network for New Music, Ensemble SurPlus, the Boston Sound Collective, the Nash Ensemble of London, and the Brentano String Quartet.

His work has been presented worldwide, including recent presentations at the Issue Project Room in Brooklyn, the Burning Man Festival in Black Rock City, Nevada, the 2010 World Forum for Acoustic Ecology conference in Finland, and Latitude 53 in Edmonton, Alberta. His work has been released on Autumn Records, Deep Listening, Wowcool, Simple Logic, Static Caravan, and others.

From 1997 until 2003, he worked as a studio engineer, faculty member, and technical director in the electronic arts program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He holds music degrees from Miami University, Peabody Conservatory, and Princeton University, where he also worked as a postdoctoral research associate, working with the legendary Princeton Laptop Orchestra (PLOrk). He currently lives in Edmonton, Alberta, where he is an assistant professor of composition at the University of Alberta.