http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html Rod Snyder: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sun, 20 May 2012 01:25:12 -0700 http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#12 Copyright - The Martinsburg Journal

http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/512903.html

RANSON, W.VA. - A local celebrity helped usher in the holiday season in the city of Ranson on Saturday night.

Rod Snyder, a Shenandoah Junction native and semi-finalist on Season 4 of the reality show "American Idol," was the special guest emcee for the city's fourth annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

The ceremony took place next to the town circle off South Mildred Street.

Snyder serenaded the crowd with several Christmas songs and said that even though he has been lucky to perform all over the United States and the world, he loves coming back to the area where he grew up to take part in events like the ceremony.

"The people here mean the most to me and I love doing these things," Snyder said.

The ceremony also featured an appearance by Santa Claus, who helped to light up the town circle and posed for photos with local children in front of Ranson City Hall.

Horse carriage rides were also available during the event, which served as the kickoff to the city's holiday activities, including its Christmas parade set for Dec. 6.

Saturday night's ceremony also featured musical performances by singing groups from Blue Ridge and Ranson elementary schools as well as Washington High School in Charles Town. [continued...]

_________________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#12 Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#11 Copyright - The Herald-Mail

http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=196951&format=html

MARTINSBURG, W.VA. - Rod Snyder always had kept his music separate from his politics - until Friday night at The Apollo Civic Theatre.

Snyder, who tried out for "American Idol" in 2004, also is president of the West Virginia Young Democrats, and his father, former state Sen. Herb Snyder, is on the campaign trail again this year.

With his father and U.S. Sen. John Rockefeller seated among an audience of more 300 gathered for 2008 West Virginia Serenade, Snyder admitted he was a bit nervous.

"My life consists of politics and music, but not usually together," Snyder told the crowd that came out for the West Virginia birthday celebration and fundraiser presented by the Berkeley County Democratic Association.

Snyder was one of five acts to take part in the event, which honored Martinsburg Police Department Officer J.R. Butcher, the Family Support Program of the 167th Airlift Wing of the West Virginia Air National Guard, Eagle School Intermediate Principal Margaret Kursey and the Shenandoah Community Health Clinic. [continued...]

_____________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#11 Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#10 http://www.wepm.com/html/panlive/panlive.htm

______________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#10 Tue, 26 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#9
by Crystal Schelle
The Martinsburg Journal

In 2004, Rod Snyder had a chance that thousands have wished for --- a trip to Hollywood to compete in the semifinals of "American Idol." Before Snyder could advance to the finals, his dreams were dashed; Carrie Underwood would be named the season four winner.

The title track from his new album, "Leaving Hollywood Behind," came from that experience, Snyder says. He wrote it soon after losing his opportunity to launch his singing career and his disappointment can be heard in his lyrics, "...Take my golden ticket/ I don't need it anymore/ It's got nothing real to give, so I'm headed for the door."

The experience, Snyder says, taught him so much. In fact, he thanks Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson in the album's acknowledgements for their encouragement and constructive criticism he received during the auditions.

"It was a real confidence booster," Snyder says of being selected to be part of the reality show.

His love of music started long before he got his 15 minutes of fame. Like most musicians, music was always part of Snyder's life. "I've been singing since I was a kid," he says.

In fact, he always considered himself a singer first. But in 2000, an assignment for a college creative arts seminar class would help him to uncover another talent. "I wanted to write a song," he says.

The song was so well-received by his classmates that Snyder was encouraged by the experience. "I just kep going, and I haven't stopped," he says of his songwriting. "It's really opened up a whole new way to express myself."

But "Leaving Hollywood Behind" isn't Snyder's first release. In 2001, he dabbled with the six-song demo album of contemporary Christian music, "I Hear Your Call." Active with theBridge Community Church in Charles Town, Snyder's faith is just as important to him as his music and his other passion --- politics.

When he's not singing, Snyder is an agricultural lobbyist on Capitol Hill. In 2004, he ran for the West Virginia House of Delegates, but lost.

Because the election tied up most of his time, Snyder says he set aside his music. That was until he heard the "American Idol" judges tell him that he was going to Hollywood. "It really inspired me," he says.

Recorded at Bottom Dollar Studio in Harpers Ferry, Snyder says the process for producing "Leaving Hollywood Behind" was another new experience.

"First, I didn't have a band," he says. Snyder called friends who were seasoned musicians as well as young musicians who were looking for experience in the studio.

Although he does play the piano, Snyder says he still had to supply music for his new band. Because he doesn't play their instruments, such as a guitar, he had to also express to them how specifically he wanted a chord to be played --- more than just the notes written on the paper.

Snyder and the band spent six months in the studio, mostly Saturdays because of his demanding Washington job, in order to produce "Leaving Hollywood Behind." He describes those Saturday sessions as "marathons."

In addition, he was working on material for the album. "I was still writing," he says. "I was 75 percent done before we got into the studio, but I wanted to make sure there were 10 tracks to make it a complete album."

"I didn't want two tracks to sound alike," he says. "And I also didn't want to limit my appeal."

He made a point to not only include the ballads he loved, but also pushed himself to write up-tempo songs. The result is a collection of 10 pop-adult contemporary flavored tracks all written solely by Snyder (except "Cherish This Moment" of which he shares co-songwriting credit with his sister Mariah). And fans of his gospel music won't be disappointed with the track "Promised Land."

On "Cherish This Moment" fellow "American Idol" contestant Shawna Schweitzer makes an appearance. Snyder says he met Schweitzer at the airport when he first arrived in Los Angeles for the show.

They had lost touch after "American Idol," but Snyder remembered she was a student at Town University, north of Baltimore. He still had her number and called her up to sing on the album. She said yes, but Snyder didn't have time to write a duet. Instead he dug up a song that was six years old. "Cherish This Moment" was written with his sister Mariah for her high school graduation. After a blessing from his sister, Snyder and Schweitzer cut the track.

One of the most personal songs on the album is "The Last Snow." The song, along with the entire album, is dedicated to the memory of Desiree Shields, a childhood friend who died in a car accident before her wedding. "The Last Snow" came out from his grief of losing a friend. "The Snow is calling --- white as the dress she would have worn/ But winter's beauty disguises all the lives it's torn/ Happily ever after, so the story goes."

"I sat down and wrote the song. My emotions were very raw," Snyder says. "I wrote it as a tribute to her family."

After this year's election season is over, Snyder hopes to dedicate more time toward marketing his album and making singing appearances. But it's hard to make a decisions between music and politics, as he says hasn't totally ruled out the possibility of one day throwing his hat in the ring again.

"As much as I love music, I love politics," he says.

_______________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#9 Thu, 12 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#8
Local singer/songwriter and former American Idol semifinalist Rod Snyder recently released his debut full-length album entitled “Leaving Hollywood Behind.” Snyder, a twenty-six year old from Shenandoah Junction, W.Va., advanced to the Hollywood Round during season four of the popular television show American Idol where he competed in Los Angeles against Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice and other nationally recognized singers.

His new album contains ten original tracks ranging from the soaring piano ballad "The Warmest Place I Know" to the guitar driven rock tune "Tear Down This Wall." The title track "Leaving Hollywood Behind" is an infectious mid-tempo pop song with an unforgettable melody and poignant lyrics. The duet "Cherish This Moment" was recorded with fellow American Idol semifinalist Shawna Schweitzer who Snyder met in Hollywood during the filming of American Idol. The newly released CD was recorded at Bottom Dollar Studio in Harpers Ferry, W.Va. and mixed and engineered by Larry Burns.

Album release parties were held several weeks ago in both Charles Town, W.Va. and Washington, D.C. Snyder also performed songs from the new CD at several venues during the summer including the Jefferson County Fair and the 4th of July fireworks display at Sam Michael’s Park.

“Leaving Hollywood Behind” is available through the official website RodSnyderMusic.com and is also being sold on Amazon.com and CDBaby.com. Snyder’s website also includes song clips, photos, official merchandise and a calendar of upcoming appearances.

In 2001, the artist released a six-song demo album of contemporary Christian music entitled "I Hear Your Call." He also remains active on the worship team at theBridge Community Church in Charles Town.

Snyder is known for his political activism as much as his music. He has been recognized for his leadership at the local, state and national levels of the Democratic Party, and in 2005 he was named West Virginia's Young Democrat of the Year. In 2004, he ran for the West Virginia House of Delegates, and he currently works as an agricultural lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

___________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#8 Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#7
The first event will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 22 at Jumpin' Java in Charles Town, WV (109 W. Washington Street). This will be the very first opportunity to get a copy of the CD "Leaving Hollywood Behind" before it's available in stores or through online retailers. Rod will perform a few songs from the album, and there will also be prize drawings for official "Leaving Hollywood Behind" merchandise.

The official Capitol Hill release party will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 24 at Top of the Hill in Washington, DC (319 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE). The brand new album will be on sale, and once again Rod will perform several songs from the CD. There will also be prize drawings for official "Leaving Hollywood Behind" merchandise.

The public is invited to attend both events.

______________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#7 Sat, 15 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#6
______________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#6 Sun, 25 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#1
_____________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#1 Sat, 03 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#5 © Copyright 2006 - The Waltonian

These days, it's more than just college students who are hooked on the big question mark that still hangs over the remaining contestants of American Idol.

Eastern alumnus Rod Snyder ('02) is also a faithful viewer, but for other reasons; the current contestants used to be competition.

Snyder, who formerly sang with Angels of Harmony, had never taken voice lessons but was always told he had a good voice.

When the first American Idol show aired in 2002, he was prompted by friends and family to audition to "just see how far [he could] make it." At the time, singing was no priority for Snyder.

"I was trying to think about my career," he said.

For this political science major and former SGA president ('00-'01), thinking about a career ended up paying off. Snyder started off with a bang by running for the West Virginia House of Delegates in May of last year.

When he lost to John Doyle, Snyder "suddenly had free time overnight." Friends took advantage of the opportunity to give Snyder the final shove to audition for American Idol in D.C.

Snyder arrived at the D.C. Convention Center at 5 a.m. on a Tuesday morning that August. His duty: waiting.

"I had to camp out and wait with 21,000 other people on a concrete floor," he said. "I just slept there."

Finally, on Wednesday at 4 p.m., he got his chance to sing I'll Be by Edwin McCain in from of a panel of associate producers.

"Basically you get 20 or 30 seconds, and if you don't impress them in that amount of time, you're done," Snyder said. Fortunately for Snyder, 20 seconds was enough for his judges, and he moved on with the other 199 semi-finalists.

The next day, after being interviewed, Snyder performed before the show's executive producers. He was again asked to return, this time before judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson and the infamous Simon Cowell.

That Friday, Snyder's current political involvement as a lobbyist for CropLife America proved to be a bonus.

His private life, both at home and at the office, soon became even more public when he was chosen as one of the ten contestants to be profiled for television. The result: his own paparazzi for a day.

Saturday finally came, and Snyder made his brave appearance before the panel of three with guest judge Mark McGrath, lead singer of Sugar Ray. No sooner had he finished singing than Snyder was told he was going to Hollywood. The news caught Snyder off guard.

"I didn't expect [to go that far]," he said. "I was absolutely terrified; it was nerve-wracking."

He credited some of his success to his musical involvement at Eastern.
"My vocal ability just really improved because of my time in Angels of Harmony," he said. "I think often about how much that helped me."
While at Eastern, Snyder produced his own CD, with the help of some friends. The album, which appeared on the campus bookstore shelves, sold out at 500 copies.

Though he has not been very musically involved since then, Snyder was still one of the 42 contestants to be given a November ticket to California.
Until the appointed departure time. "I just played the waiting game," Snyder said.

In early November, Snyder got word of the next audition and treated himself to a new wardrobe and voice lessons.

"I felt maybe I should brush up a little," he said.

The remaining 193 contestants of the 100,000 nationwide auditioners gathered and met one another in Los Angeles.

"I knew the competition was going to be intense," Snyder said, "but I couldn't believe the talent when I got there; it was amazing."

Snyder was placed in group one, the first to audition at the Orpheum Theatre, while group two took a tour around L.A.

Snyder's group had the morning to practice their songs chosen from a list. Snyder worked on Unforgettable by Nat King Cole and Queen's Crazy Little Thing Called Love with a pianist and vocal coach. And he explored the stage a little.

When it came time to perform, Snyder was surprised to find that the judges were actually much friendlier than they appear on TV.

"All along they'd been joking with me about becoming the next American Idol or American President," Snyder said.

Snyder first performed Crazy Little Thing Called Love, but not as well as he'd hoped.

"I totally botched the words under the pressure of the situation," he said, adding that he forgot several lines of the lyrics. "I had a feeling when that song was done that I was pretty much toast."

Snyder felt he "really nailed" his second song, Unforgettable, but that it was not enough to pull him through.

"At that level [in the competition], everyone's too good for you to make a mistake," he said. Snyder was then taken back to his group where his fate was revealed to him.

Cowell told Snyder he had "good news and bad news." The bad news was that Snyder was going home; the good news was that he would be returning to his political career.

"He was easy on me," Snyder said. "Simon's notorious for being pretty harsh, so I was pretty lucky."

Despite having made it as far as he did, Snyder was disappointed.

"I did not feel like I gave my best performance that day," he said. "It just happens so fast that you can't even really catch your breath."

The most of Snyder that was aired was a shot of him coaxing his roommate out of the bathroom. But the entire experience, Snyder concluded, had a celebrity-surreal quality.

"It really feels like you're walking into your TV screen," he said.

_______________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#5 Wed, 23 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#4 Copyright - The Herald-Mail ONLINE

SHENANDOAH JUNCTION, W.VA. - Simon Cowell, the famously notorious judge on "American Idol," had good news and bad news for local contestant Rod Snyder back in November.

The bad news was that Snyder was not named one of the 24 semifinalists on the popular Fox television show.

And the good news, Cowell said, was that Snyder can now return to politics.

Snyder, 24, of Shenandoah Junction, was not shown singing on Tuesday night's episode, but he was shown in the beginning trying to convince his roommate to leave their shared bathroom. Those who watched the show will recognize his roommate as being the man who proudly proclaimed himself to be FF&T - fat, fashionable and talented.

Neither made the cut and sometime during the night, itineraries for their flights home were shoved under their hotel room door.

Although he did not make it as far as he would have liked on the show, Snyder still plans to appear before cameras.

"I am definitely going to run (for office) again," he said.

Snyder, 24, made a bid last year to become the youngest member of the state's House of Delegates, but lost in the 57th District's Democratic primary race to incumbent John Doyle.

As for exercising those vocal cords for a purpose other than politicking, that also is in Snyder's future. He said he will continue to sing for fun and hopes to head to a recording studio later this year to record a few new songs for friends and family.

Snyder auditioned for "American Idol" in August 2004 in Washington, D.C., and was named one of 193 people from across the country to advance to "the Hollywood round."

Tens of thousands of others never made it that far.

On a Sunday in November, Snyder was flown to Los Angeles and checked into a specified hotel downtown.

The next morning, the contestants were split into two groups. Members of one group - including Snyder - sang that day while the others were given a tour of Hollywood and taken to a beach.

Since Snyder and others were cut on the first day, they never were given a similar tour.

"We were thoroughly irritated," he said.

Detailing what happened in Los Angeles, Snyder said he tried to find a place to rehearse in his hotel Sunday night but few were available.

The next morning he and others were bused to The Orpheum Theatre a few blocks away. He spent the morning warming up and setting his keys with a vocal coach and an accompanying pianist.

Once the show's three judges - Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson - showed up, the competition began, with contestants broken into groups of 10.

"It was so tense in there. Everyone was so stressed out. It was almost uncomfortable," Snyder said.

Out of 12 choices, Snyder chose to sing a revised version of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," followed by Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable."

He forgot a few lines of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Although he fared better with "Unforgettable," he thinks the flubbed lines likely were his death knell.

Eight of the 10 who sang in his group were cut before advancing to the second round - portions of which were broadcast Wednesday night on Fox.

Producers interviewed Snyder before he sang and again afterward. He then went back to his hotel.

"I did not feel like talking to anyone," he said, adding that he didn't even want to call his parents to give them the disappointing news.

Although he is now optimistic and upbeat when talking about the experience, Snyder said he has regrets.

Mostly, he wishes he had performed to the best of his ability. He said he would feel better if he had nailed his audition and still been cut, because he would know he had put forth his best effort.

Since he didn't make it as one of the 24 semifinalists, Snyder can audition again this summer.

"I'm kind of leaving that option open," he said. "I'm thinking about it."

______________________]]> http://rodsnydermusic.com/news.html#4 Thu, 10 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0800 Leaving Hollywood Behind - Rod Snyder - News