Student releases music with his family’s band
By Liz Reichart, A&E Editor //
Everyone knows the story of Roger’s and Hammerstein’s seminal classic, “The Sound of Music” where a family essentially learns to love through music and uses this love to evade the Nazi’s. The Snyder Family Band, featuring High Point University student Zeb Snyder, never had to escape the grips of German soldiers, but their music is no less enjoyable because of it. Hailing from Lexington, N.C., the Snyder Family Band prides itself on performing family friendly music for everyone.
Zeb Snyder is a math and economics major who started playing the guitar at the age of seven. Once he began to compete in the realm of guitar playing, Snyder amassed several championships. It was only after his success as a youth that he turned to competing in the instrument. He received International Bluegrass Music Awards Momentum nominations for Instrumentalist in 2013 and 2014. The momentum category recognizes up and comers in the industry. Snyder even played guitar on Grammy Award winning Adam Steffey’s solo project entitled “New Primitive.”
Snyder’s sister Samantha contributes her creativity in songwriting to the Synder family band, while their father, Bud, holds down the base rhythm. Both Samantha and Zeb contribute vocally, and occasionally the Snyder family mother, Laine, will join her children onstage for a trio performance. And very rarely, the youngest, Snyder, Owen, will join the band for a solo or two. Together, the family creates a sound inspired by not only bluegrass, but Southern rock, blues, Texas swing and new grass.
One of their most popular original songs, “Wherever I Wander”, is fast-paced and features Samantha’s incredible fiddling skills. Even for those who don’t typically dabble in the realm of bluegrass music, the Snyder Family Band’s melodies are simply delightful to the ear. It’s easy to see why the family has performance dates booked almost every week through the end of 2015.
Once again awed by the multi-talented students we have here at HPU, we wait for the release of more new music and live performances from the Snyder Family Band. You can get your bluegrass on by visiting their website, snyderfamilyband.com, and listening to the family’s home-grown harmonies.