HOW TO GO
WHAT: Retirement Open House and Retirement Dinner Celebration for Greg Snyder, Lakota West director of bands
OPEN HOUSE: 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, at Lakota West High School Band Room, 8940 Union Centre Blvd., West Chester Twp.
CELEBRATION DINNER: 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 28 at Tri-County Baptist Church, 8195 Beckett Road, West Chester Twp. (Program starts at 7:15 p.m.)
MORE INFO: Contact Deb Eriksen at 513-889-9734 or bandmom1000@gmail.com
Lakota West High School’s Greg Snyder ends his 35-year teaching career Friday after a series of high notes.
But Snyder, who started at Lakota High School in 1988, said he could never have predicted the steady procession of awards and accolades the bands he directed would rack up during his tenure, nor how bright the spotlight would shine as students performed before audiences of millions worldwide.
From the first day he lifted his baton in Butler County, the then-relatively small Lakota Local School District featured “great kids that were eager to learn.”
“We just came and worked hard at it,” Snyder said. “A lot of them loved band and they had to adapt to a new director when I came in, which was interesting for some of them.”
As West Chester and Liberty townships became regional business, residential and retail powerhouses, so did Lakota’s band program and its reputation.
Early invites to performances out of state in the 1990s paved the way for a succession of high-profile events.
In 2002, the Marching Firebirds performed at half-time at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, La. Two years later, the Lakota West Symphonic Winds embarked on a tour through several European countries with several public performances.
The Marching Firebirds also performed at the 2006 Waikiki Holiday Parade in Oahu, Hawaii, along with a performance at Pearl Harbor; the 2008 Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif.; the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 2015 Rose Parade.
But Snyder said “the thing we’re really, really proud of” is the band performing three times – 2000, 2006 and 2011 — at the “Superbowl” of concert band events, The Midwest Clinic, an international band and orchestra conference in Chicago, Ill.
Each year, the clinic picks just five bands from across the country, Snyder said.
“This is the biggest thing for a high school band to perform at, but it’s not nearly as well know, of course, as the Rose Parade or Macy’s (Parade) because it’s not on TV,” he said. “That was the pinnacle of our performances.”
Once a band is accept to play the clinic, it must wait four years to even apply again, Snyder said. The fact that the band is the only one to perform there three times makes the feat even more remarkable.
“We’re also the only band in Ohio to do that, plus the Rose Parade and Macy’s (Parade),” he said.
Snyder’s time with the district hasn’t always been harmonious. He was suspended for a month last April for allegedly using his position for personal gain. Snyder never has admitted guilt following the accusation.
He said he’s always known he would retire in 2015 after 35 years of service, calling it a “no brainer” to step aside after that much time to pursue the next chapter of his career.
“I have some college opportunities to work on,” Snyder said. “I haven’t made a final decision where we’re going to end up but we’re sure looking forward to the college scene and just a different lifestyle from being a high school band director of the past 30 years. Sandra and I, we’re kind of looking to head south to where it’s warmer and (where) our boys are.
“It’s just very exciting.”
Snyder said his philosophy of what helps makes the band excel is “success breeds success.”
“I think a big thing is just that they work hard and be the best that they can be musically and just all the great traits of being on time, working your hardest and being a team player,” Snyder said. “Being in a band isn’t about being one person, it’s how you work with others, too.”
It’s a lesson like that that led Jill Wilhelm to pursue a career in music, one that led to her being Fairfield High School’s band director for the past 12 years.
“His love for his students, his love for music, his love for the job was always a real inspiration,” said Wilhelm, a 1995 Lakota graduate. “That was a big part of wanting to become a music teacher: Do something that you’re going to love and that you’re going to be passionate about.”
Spencer Mark, a Lakota West sophomore who plays trombone in the Marching Firebirds, said Snyder has done a lot for the band program and students are sorry to see him go, but he believes Snyder will have a nice retirement.
“He’s done a lot,” Mark said. “He deserves a break. I’m really glad to have experienced his teaching, but I’m also really excited to see what (band directors) Mr. (Andrew) Carr and Mr. (Tom) Racic have to offer.”
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