Kristen Snyder's Audition Story

KRISTEN SNYDER - CLASS OF 1982
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​Before entering M&A in 1979 I spent many days and evenings in long conversation with family and close friends weighing the pros and cons of M&A over a more ”academic oriented” school. The bottom line came down to following my heart and values, both in music and care for humans and the human spirit. I decided to take this same attitude in to my audition, knowing it might be ”risky business”. As a flutist, there was a standard repertoire which is bound to be expected. 

However, I was bored with the ”good ’ol standards" and decided that if I was going to audition, and do it well, then I needed to play music that spoke to me. I entered the room on the fifth floor and met Dr. Chernoff, who greeted me with an open hand and a long beard. To my right was a grungy blackboard with the musical staff, a piano in the middle of the room, and spread all over the place in what I suppose was a neat chaos, was a bunch of chairs. To me it was just chaos. And at the same time, that chaos said to me ”it might be o.k. to take risks”. I set my music on the piano (there was no music stand) and began to present myself: ”Hi, my name is Kristen Snyder and I have been playing flute for four years. I want to go to M&A because of its focus on the arts and its belief in diversity. And if it’s o.k. with you, I would like to perform Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik on flute (reading off a piano score of course).” And so I began to play and smiled as the melody came out of my flute and my soul. I was so glad I chose to play something that made me happy and decided if they didn’t like it, then it wasn’t a school for me. Apparently they liked my choice and my playing. I had four fantastic years at M&A graduating in 1982 with experiences in senior band and orchestra as well as the musicals. It pays to take chances and follow your heart!

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