Bob Sneider

Jazz Guitar
World Campus Instructor

Before joining the Eastman faculty in late 1997, Sneider toured for several years with two-time Grammy Award winner Chuck Mangione. Other notable performers with whom Sneider has performed, toured or recorded include: Nat Adderley, Joe Locke, Don Menza, Lou Donaldson, Joey Defrancesco, Pat Bianchi, Gary Versace, Pat Labarbara, Grant Stewart, Ken Peplowski, Gerry Niewood, Chris Potter, Roy McCurdy, Eric Alexander, David Hazeltine, Frank Strazzerri, Jon Faddis, Keeter Betts and frequent appearances with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Pops(guitar/banjo). Sneider has performed in major festivals, concert halls and jazz clubs throughout South America, Central America, North America and Europe. Sneider is a graduate of the University of Rochester where he studied with Bill Dobbins and Ramon Ricker. Growing up in Brockton, MA, Sneiders mentor and teacher was Chet Kruley – a veteran of the Fletcher Henderson, and Nat Pierce bands.

Sneider has several solo and co-led cd projects that have received rave reviews and international airplay: Introducing Bob Sneider (self produced), Out of the Darkness (Sonsofsound), duo projects with pianist Paul Hofmann – Interconnection (Sonsofsound) and Escapade (Sonsofsound) and Serve & Volley (Origin), The Bob Sneider/Joe Locke Film Noir Project – Fallen Angel (Sonsofsound) and Nocturne for Ava (Origin), All Through The Night (RIJF). Several of his students have won major jazz competitions and attended renowned institutes: YoungArts, DownBeat, Grammy National Band, The Brubeck Institute, Kennedy Center / Jazz Ahead.

In addition to teaching at Eastman and the Eastman Community Music School, Bob Sneider has also taught online lessons for more than 10 years and is a part of the Eastman World Campus. His virtual students have been accepted to top music schools like the New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music, Michigan State, Oberlin, and the Eastman School of Music.

Introduction and Performance Videos

Testimonials

“When beginning to prepare for college auditions I was unsure of my ability to make it into the programs I was interested in. Through my lessons with Bob I gained the skills needed to make it into Eastman, my top choice for college. He taught me so much in such a short time to prepare me for auditions, such as comping technique, improving my solos, learning/transcribing other solos, and learning many difficult tunes. In summary, my online lessons with Bob have greatly improved my playing and knowledge of guitar and music in general.” -Liam

“I have been studying with Bob online for 8 years now. The online medium has been ideal for me. The combination of being comfortable on my own home with the convenience of not having to travel and lug an instrument to and from a classroom has enabled me to maximize every minute of my lesson to focus on learning. The visual nature of Zoom is an ideal way to comprehend complex jazz chord fingerings and the record feature allows me to save and replay difficult sections of compositions we study throughout the week as I prepare for my next lesson. During my time with Bob, I have made great strides in my playing, gaining a deeper appreciation of jazz and music as a whole. I could not foresee myself going back to in person learning again.” Robert


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