Q&A with Rhapsody Snyder, PFF’s Program Coordinator

Everyone’s dying to know…what’s the story behind your musical name?
Both of my parents are classical musicians: my father is a bassoonist and was in the Navy Band for 25 years, and my mother is an oboist and pianist. Having spent their formative College years together in the late ‘60’s, they have since been…free-thinkers. With that said, I am not named after any particular piece of music (sorry, no Gershwin, Liszt or Queen.) What they had in mind was a personification of the evolving, free-form, highly emotional definition of a rhapsody. Pretty big name to live up to!

Describe your background: where did you grow up, and what brought you to Chicago?
I grew up in the woods of Southern Maryland, and went to the only Arts Magnet Public School in the county which was an hour bus ride each direction every day. My parents ensured that my siblings and I had exposure to every form of art. So, I was that kid who did everything: dance, theater, sculpture, music…if I wasn’t practicing an instrument or sitting in one of my parents rehearsals, I was at gymnastics or at play rehearsal. When it came to music, I played a variety of instruments- piano, harp, organ, guitar- and my very first job when I was 13 was at a small Episcopal Church as their Organist. I played there every Sunday until I left home at 16 to attend Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan to study piano with Dr. Michael Coonrod. After 2 years living in Northern Michigan (and hating the cold) I got a full scholarship to study piano at DePaul University here in Chicago (more cold) with pianist Aglika Angelova. I fell in love with Chicago, and now here I am at PianoForte!

What are your primary responsibilities for PFF?
I am the Program Coordinator at PFF, which means I organize programs and events. I handle (with Susan, the Artistic Director) the daily administrative tasks of the office, and I manage the Gift of Pianos program. I also had a hand in organizing and coordinating the Chicago Amateur Piano Competition.

What is the most gratifying part (or your favorite part) of your job?
Growing up with the intentions of being a performer, honestly I never fathomed I would work in an office. Working “behind the scenes” was something completely foreign to me, as the work I have always done is very hands-on. But I will forever be a student: I love learning! PFF challenges me to learn about things I never thought I could do (marketing, development, event planning.) I have discovered more about my self in the past year and a half than ever before. PFF, with the gentle patience of Susan and Thomas, keeps pushing me to improve, expand and develop my abilities more than any other art form I have studied. I feel strongly about making classical music accessible and attractive to all people, and I feel very privileged to have found PFF.

Tell us about your work with other nonprofit organizations.
Since I was 12 I have done volunteer work in underprivileged communities. My mother and I started an after-school music program in South East D.C. where I taught piano, guitar and art to kids whose parents were absent. This basic idea grew into a NFP, Active Blessing Uganda, which is an orphan relief organization based in Southern Uganda. I work as the Travel Coordinator and when I go to there I teach classes and lead teams of interns. ABU incorporates emotional healing and growth through art/music therapy with monetary sponsorship that helps the kids kick-start their professional careers. Almost all of the kids that go through our program end up starting their own orphanages for kids like themselves who are orphaned as a result of war. My mother spends around 6 months each year living in Uganda, and it’s becoming a family affair now, with my father going for the first time next month! I have had some of the most enlightening, frightening and hilarious experiences of my life in Uganda and traveling throughout Eastern Africa. I look forward to going back.

What do you like to do when you’re not at PFF?
Like I said, I’m an avid learner, so recently I have been teaching myself to play accordion. I also sew and read a lot. But my favorite pastime is learning about beer. There are so many great breweries not only in Chicago, but in Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio…the Midwest is a great place to be for specialty microbrews! My favorite beer right now is Dark Horse, Crooked Tree IPA from Michigan. One of these days I would like to start brewing my own beer. I wonder if it will be easier than learning how to play the accordion…