Jazz

Doug Schneider grew up as a jazz musician.  Even before he became heavily involved in classical music, jazz was his first major musical impulse.  But it was not always that way.  During the summer between his 6th and 7th grade years, his band director tried to teach him the basics of improvisation, as Schneider was already a decent saxophonist, but lacked the skill of improvisation.  Completely frustrated at his inability to pick this skill up, he went to two other teachers, but with the same result.  Finally, his fourth teacher miraculously created success, Schneider got improvisation, and to this day, he regards nothing as more natural or central to his musicianship than the ability to improvise.  It is a good lesson and proof of the power of perseverance, and also the reality that what can seem at first completely dumbfounding can in the end result in complete ease.  Nowadays Mr. Schneider’s improvisation most often happens in the context of his work as a Roman Catholic organist, where improvisation in a different style is required at nearly every Mass.

However, jazz has remained very much with him from his middle-school experience to the present.  One highlight is his award by Downbeat magazine for outstanding jazz saxophone improvisation.  Another highlight was during his college years when he played saxophone solos in a concert with the Dave Brubeck rhythm section backing him up.  He has performed as lead alto and lead tenor saxophonist with various big bands, including the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Big Band Reunion, the Northeast Wisconsin Studio Orchestra, the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble, and as a high schooler, with the Minnesota All-State Jazz Band.  Also a gifted jazz pianist, he is very much influenced by the musical style of the great Bill Evans.  He has performed as a jazz pianist many times in his current work as an orchestral pianist with the Oregon Symphony, perhaps most memorably for him in backing up and “trading fours” with the amazing Renée Fleming.