Biography of Jerry Snyder
ABOUT JERRY
SNYDER
Jerry
is the author of over 100 publications for guitar in styles that
include classical, jazz, blues, ragtime, folk, pop and fingerpicking.
He is a pioneer in guitar education in the schools having introduced
guitar classes into the high school curriculum in 1968 and his method
books have been adopted by many schools across the country including
his latest method entitled Jerry Snyder’s Guitar School. For
seven years, Jerry was the guitar editor for Hansen Publications
where he was instrumental in building a comprehensive guitar catalog
and in attracting and developing new authors. Jerry has presented
over 200 clinics to teachers in the United States and Canada on how
to launch a guitar program and how to go beyond the basics. Over the
last three years Jerry has also participated in the summer MENC/GAMA
teacher workshops in Lake Geneva, Hollywood, Phoenix and Las Vegas.
Jerry received his B.A. and M.A. from San Jose State University with
an emphasis in instrumental music (clarinet). The guitar, since high
school, has been his major gigging instrument. He has studied
privately with a number of jazz and classical guitarists.
TEACHING
Jerry began his career in an elementary school district where he taught beginning band instruments, classroom music, vocal music and band at the intermediate school. His 18 years as a high school teacher included teaching marching band, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, orchestra, choir and guitar. For 12 years, he was a teaching Performing Arts Coordinator for the East Side Union High School District (10 high schools, 22,000 students) and was responsible for representing the interests of the music, dance and drama teachers to the district office. Jerry taught guitar classes in Adult Education for five years and during the summer, he has been a guest instructor at various colleges. He is currently teaching Beginning Classical Guitar and a Jazz/Blues/Popular Guitar Class at De Anza College in Cupertino, CA.
EDITOR/MUSICIAN
A versatile musician, over the past 30 years Jerry has performed with
the America Musical Theatre, Ballet Silicon Valley, the San Jose
Symphony (bass clarinet for 5 years and guitars/banjo the last 25
years), Gatos (flute and guitar duo), and for various named artists
who perform at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts (Joel
Gray, Jack Jones, Bob Hope, Al Martino, Mickey Rooney, Frankie Lane,
Rosemary Clooney, George Burns, Benedette Peters and Pavarotti).
ADJUDICATOR Since 1999, Jerry has served as an adjudicator at various California Music Educator Association Bay Section Festivals. Due to Jerry’s varied teaching background and abilities, he has been invited to adjudicate Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Orchestra and the Solo/Ensemble Festival (woodwinds).
SOUTH BAY GUITAR SOCIETY Jerry is currently the president and artistic director of the South Bay Guitar Society, a nonprofit presenter of talented guitarists in concerts, in lecture/recitals and in outreach programs in the schools. For more information, visit http://www.sbgs.org http://www.sbgs.org