The Music Department welcomes a new choir director. Dr. Bonnie Sneed arrived in late August after an interview back in July. Sneed received her doctorate from Michigan State University.
Sneed has been a choir director since the 1980s when she taught high school.
She has been a full-time collegiate choral director since 1991. During that time she taught at Denison University in Granville, Ohio.
She is now conducting the Chorale and Chamber Singers as well as teaching conducting and choral literature.
“I have always been a musician and have great teachers and professors. I can’t imagine doing anything else,” Sneed said. ”
I hope to prepare them to be leaders in choral music, either in the school setting, community choir, or church choir area. I hope they will find themselves well prepared from all of the education they are getting from our great music faculty.”
Sneed would like to invite interested students to come to a chorale rehearsal if they are thinking about joining the choir.
“We meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and they could just come sit in. This way they can see how I work with the singers and also get an idea of what skills are needed in order to be in the choir,” Sneed said.
The invitation also goes out for the Bluebonnet Chorus, directed by Dr. Chris White. This is a community/student choir that meets Tuesday evenings from 7pm
to 8:30pm.
“They will be performing choruses from Messiah and their concert is on December 7 and any student is welcome to sign up for voice or instrumental lessons,” Sneed said.
It is not required that students be music majors or minors to be involved in the department for either lessons or ensembles.
The department welcomes
participation from the non-majors, especially those who were active in their high school music
programs.
“They [students] can still continue that love of performing great music here at Texas A&M University-Commerce,” Sneed said.
Katy Trela, a junior music education/voice major, likes the way Sneed keeps on-track during rehearsals.
“I really like her, she runs a really efficient rehearsal. I’ve had other instructors and she definitely moves at a faster pace, but it’s reasonable,” Trela said.
Alex Fleming, a sophomore vocal performance major, also enjoys her teaching style.
“She’s actually a really good teacher. Others have moved at a slower pace in order for everyone to follow along, but she actually expects us to work on it after class and that really, really helps us,” Fleming said.
Jamal Walker is a senior music education major who sees a softer side of Dr. Sneed.
“I know everyone keeps talking about her pace, but what I like about her is that she is very approachable.
You can talk to her, she’s easy to talk to if you have any problems. She’s not intimidating but still to the point in rehearsals,”
Walker said.