Dutcher Snedeker

Dutcher Snedeker is a Grand Rapids pianist with a long history of being involved in the Michigan music scene. Growing up in a musical family, he was surrounded by different music styles that continue to inspire his multifaceted interest in music, whether it’s exploring different genres or taking on work in other music industry roles. He is recognized as an active part of the West Michigan music community, with multiple nominations and awards at the local WYCE Jammies alongside a jazz award from ArtPrize 2013. A graduate of both GVSU and WMU, he draws from years of experience as a classical and jazz performer in solo and group settings, with a focus on future soul, funk fusion, and New Music. 

While at Grand Valley State University, he was a member the nationally recognized GVSU New Music Ensemble, performing at three Strange Beautiful Music Festivals in Detroit, at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Colorado College with the Bowed Piano Ensemble, the Detroit Institute of Arts Museum, with Cori Terry & Dancers at Wellspring Theatre, and the Music in Our Parks 2014 National Parks Tour. At Western Michigan University, he played in the 2016-2017 Downbeat Award Winning WMU Jazz Orchestra as well as the WMU Symphonic Band. He is a fellow of the 2014 School of Improvised Music (SIM) and Bang on a Can’s 2016 Summer Festival. In 2017, he performed with members of the DSO and New Music Detroit in a performance of Steve Reich's "Music for 18 Musicians" at the Strange Beautiful Music Festival and with the touring Broadway production of "Wicked" at DeVos Performance Hall. As a recording artist and guest musician, he appears on several albums and has sat in with touring artists like Desmond Jones, On the Sun, Wild Adriatic, and Sons of F.U.N.K.

Dutcher Snedeker currently performs with Earth Radio, Normal Mode, Mark Lavengood, Monsters’ Impromptu, the West Michigan New Music Collective, and Blushing Monk. He also works with Third Coast Recording Company as a studio musician and also involved in sponsored events for the Michigan Music Alliance like the B-Side Sessions and the Spread the Music Festival. As a writer, he has contributed album and concert reviews to Local Spins, as a freelancer, and for the New Music Monday column for WYCE. He recently joined the curation team for the Kent District Library’s Vibes database and is also the host of 2 podcasts: Mitten Backstage and Life is a Piano.

Awards

2013 ArtPrize Winner for the Jazz Category for "Smooth Silk" w/ Brad Fritcher + Trois
 

Gear

Yamaha CP33
MicroKorg XL
Moog Sub Phatty
Pedalboard w/ Generation Loss (Chase Bliss x Cooper FX collab model), Caverns from Keeley Electronics, and Dream Mender from Mojo Hand FX
Laptop with Omnisphere, Keyscape, and Hammond B3-x software
Various MIDI controllers (M-Audio 61 Key, Oxygen 49 Mark III, Axiom 49, and iRig Keys I/O 25)
Fender Rhodes 73 (Student Model all-in-one keys/speaker cab unit)

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