Courtney Snyder

Dr. Courtney Snyder is Associate Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at the University of Michigan where she conducts the University Concert Band, teaches undergraduate and graduate instrumental conducting, and assists in administrating the Michigan Bands program. She also is the Music Director of the Michigan Youth Symphonic Band. Previously, Snyder served as the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Nebraska-Omaha where she conducted the “Maverick” Marching Band, conducted the Concert Band, served as Associate Conductor of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and taught courses in conducting, music education, and brass methods. While in Omaha, Snyder also served as Music Director for the Nebraska Wind Symphony, Omaha’s oldest community band. Ensembles under her direction have been invited to play at state, regional conferences and international conferences. Prior to teaching at the collegiate level, Snyder taught high school and middle school band and orchestra in the Michigan public schools, the last four years of which she served as Director of Bands at Ypsilanti High School. Dr. Snyder is an active guest conductor and clinician, conducting and teaching both nationally and internationally. She has presented at national and international conferences including the Midwest Clinic, World Association of Symphonic Band Ensembles, College Band Directors National Association, College Music Society, and Women Band Directors International. Her current projects include improvisation in the large concert ensemble, conducting pedagogy, band music of South and Central America, and promoting equity of women and BIPOC composers and conductors. She is a past president of Women Band Directors International and a Conn-Selmer clinician. Snyder is published in Music Educators Journal, The Instrumentalist, several volumes of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, School Band & Orchestra Magazine, The Woman Conductor, and Association of Concert Bands Journal. Her chapter “Trailblazers: Five Pioneering Female Band Directors Recount Their Journeys Over the Last 50 Years” in the book The Horizon Leans Forward…Stories of Courage, Strength, and Triumph of Underrepresented Communities in the Wind Band Field was published in December 2020. She received the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance DEI Breaking Ground Award, Tau Beta Sigma’s Paula Crider Award, Women Band Directors International’s Silver Baton Award, National Band Association’s Citation of Merit, and earned 2nd Place in the 2018 American Prize in Conducting, Band/Wind Ensemble Division Competition. Dr. Snyder is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Baylor University, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania.