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Born in 1912, Viola had older sisters who formed the Smith Sisters Orchestra. The only instrument not already take was the drums. Viola didn't do too well with them at first, but learned quickly, and was soon playing jazz in her father's ballroom. In the 1920s, they traveled and performed all over, probably in Vaudeville type performances. As the group traveled, Viola talked to other drummers, and got all of the tips and tricks from them that she could. When her sisters got older and left the band, Viola found it hard to get gigs, because people didn't believe that women could be professional musicians, so she put together another band of all women, The Coquettes. The drum kit she used had twelve pieces, far bigger than the kits used by other drummers. The group became popular, and got a lot of publicity and accolades, and when World War II started, Viola wrote an article for a magazine outlining why women musicians should be able to step into roles previously held by men who were off fighting the war. Viola was one of the most acclaimed drummers of the twentieth century, and continued playing until her death in 2020. She opened musical doors for many women.