Teacher Spotlight: Eric Snoza, bass
November 11th, 2014
Eric Snoza has been a string bass instructor at MIC since 2011.
What led you to become a Suzuki instructor?
I have always loved teaching, especially younger students. They have an energy that is inspiring and it motivates me in my own playing. So, a few years back when I expressed interest in expanding my studio, a couple of my colleagues from Fifth House Ensemble, Clark Carruth and Herine Koschak, suggested that I take some Suzuki training. After working with the wonderful Virginia Dixon I Iearned a great many things about the need for Suzuki bass teachers and, more importantly, that the teaching philosophies of Suzuki mirrored many of my own philosophies. I was hooked!
The majority of the bass world is at a deficit as most students don't start their training until middle school or later. I have been so fortunate to have wonderful students and it excites me to no end to think that my students will have 5-10 years of training more than even I had. This lights the imagination to think of all of the amazing ways they can grow the next generation of bass players.
What is your favorite Suzuki piece to teach?
Perpetual Motion is probably my favorite piece to teach. It has all the elements; shifting, bow technique, and patterns. It's great to see students move from WOW! my teacher can play this really long and difficult piece to WOW! I can do that, once they see how easy it is when you see the patterns.
You are a member of the chamber music group, Fifth House Ensemble, which often plays in non-traditional venues and collaborates with artists from other disciplines. What is the most unusual concert experience you’ve had while performing with this ensemble?
One of my favorite concert experiences was the Fifth House residency and collaboration with DePauw University. Our goal was to work with the school and the community to try and bring more of the locals and agricultural community into the concert hall. We interviewed dozens of locals and community leaders, performed at inns, community centers, and collaborated and performed with many local artists and bluegrass bands. The culminating concert had Fifth House performing alongside the DePauw orchestra, choir, local bands, photographers, and video artists that brought in a whole new audience to the concert hall and started new conversations in the community.
You are also a karate and judo instructor with a fourth degree black belt. Are there any similarities between teaching martial arts and music?
My teaching philosophy greatly pulls from my martial arts background. Everything from bass stance to bow technique and especially the breathing all relate back to my training. One of the biggest things that I use every day is how to teach. From the age of 10 when I received my black belt I was teaching students of every age and size. I had to learn very quickly how to approach people of different ages, how to speak, how to earn respect, and how to be able to explain concepts at least 5 different ways so that I could make sure everyone understood the concepts I was teaching. I was honored to have such a great instructor and I work every day to try and live up to his teachings, whether in the martial arts
or teaching bass.
In addition to your musical and martial arts pursuits, you own and operate SnoStudios Photography. What type of advice do you give camera-shy clients in order to capture flattering pictures?
The best advice I can give is to know who you are as an artist, performer, teacher and make sure that shows in your photos. Always be authentic because anything else will seem fake. And, for that award-winning expression, the best thing you can do is build a sense memory. So, if you want to have a joyful expression, make sure you bring a memory with you that, whenever you just think about this time, makes you explode with laughter. This assures that when you are working with a photographer that you are not just posing and smiling for the camera, but beaming with
authenticity and joy.
