This past weekend the 2023 Band Awards Reception was held at Memorial Stadium. As a part of the event, the Russ Swanson Outstanding Band Person was awarded to Steffani Nolda. Steffani is a super senior music education major from North Platte, Nebraska. While at UNL, Nolda studied saxophone and was a member of the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Saxophone Choir. She was also a 5-year member of the Cornhusker Marching Band and is honored to have served as Drum Major for two seasons. Nolda is currently applying to be a music educator in the Lincoln area and plans to continue the Nebraska Band Tradition through the Alumni Association. Congratulations, Steffani!
Thank you our alum, Nathan Nelson with Rooted Woodworking, for the design and creation of our award.
You can donate any time of year by clicking on the donate button on the right side of our home page or you can go directly to go.unl.edu/sniderfund. Thank you to all who have donated to this fund. You make it possible to give this gift to these deserving students. Congrats to all three winners!
Jack R. Snider/Band Alumni Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to members of the Cornhusker Marching Band who are non-music majors. Recipients demonstrate leadership (formal or informal), volunteerism and integrity. They are a role model for their section and the band, and exemplify what it means to be the Pride of All Nebraska.
Victoria “Tori” Thomas, piccolo
My name is Tori Thomas and I am deeply honored to have been selected to be a recipient of the Jack Snider/Band Alumni Association Scholarship. Band and music have been near constants in my life and I am proud to serve the musical organizations that I have had the pleasure of being a part of in any way that I can. Being recognized for such a prestigious award within the Cornhusker Marching Band is such an honor for me and I am thankful to have even been considered for this scholarship. As a new alumna of the Cornhusker Marching Band, I am excited to serve the band in a new capacity as I learn more from and about the Band Alumni Association. The history of this band and the overwhelmingly positive impact it has had on tens of thousands of people cannot be overstated and I can’t wait to help out!
Victoria “Tori” Thomas, piccolo. Senior in Secondary Education from Lincoln, Nebraska.
Madison van Ophem, drum major/mellophone
Thank you for the wonderful honor of being a recipient of the Jack R. Snider/Band Alumni Association Scholarship. The generosity of this organization has not gone unnoticed, and I cannot wait to become a member once I graduate from UNL this May. It is an honor to work alongside some of the best musicians in the state, and I am honored to carry on this legacy of excellence as a UNL and CMB alum.
I graduated from Blue Valley High School in Stilwell, KS in 2020, where I marched mellophone and served as a drum major. I came to UNL majoring in Forensic Science with a concentration in Crime Scene Investigation. In my second year, I declared a double major in Biochemistry.
Serving as a rank leader and drum major in the Cornhusker Marching Band has given me multiple opportunities for growth in conflict management, interpersonal skills, and problem solving. I am so fortunate that I have amazing colleagues in the Glenn Korff School of Music that have helped me grow as a musician and a leader. The skills I developed in the CMB will be imperative to my success as a forensic investigator, and I am forever indebted for the love and experience that the CMB has provided me. Thank you all for allowing me to continue to fund my education as I am applying to graduate programs. I am so proud to represent Nebraska Bands and will continue to be for the rest of my life.
Madison van Ophem, drum major/mellophone. Senior in Forensic Science and Biochemistry from Overland Park, Kansas.
Jack R. Snider Freshman Scholarship
This scholarship was created in 2020 and is presented to a freshman band member based on the student’s financial need.
Andrew Moyer, trumpet
As a fledgling member of the Cornhusker Marching Band and Big Red Express, I must admit that this year has been a memorable one. I am a member of the Campus Red Cross, UNL MUNA, NU Meds, MEDLIFE, and the Doctors Without Borders chapter. I also enjoy involving myself as an ambassador of the College of Arts and Sciences and playing intramural soccer. Above all of these commitments, however, the Cornhusker Marching Band and Big Red Express have shone through the brightest. The peers—the family—I met by joining these programs are unmatched; they were the first to introduce me when I came to campus, and they were the ones who stuck through the ups and downs of the season with me. I’m not sure where I’d be without this crucial piece of my postsecondary journey—certainly not where I am now! Finding how devoted Mr. Snider and his son were to the band program was inspiring, and I hope that, in my time at UNL, I will represent them well.
Andrew Moyer, trumpet. Freshman in Biological Sciences from Bennet, Nebraska.
Our sixth Glow Big Red begins Wednesday from noon to noon on Feb. 14 to Feb. 15. You We wanted to follow up with you to share ways your support can go even further to benefit our students.
Scott Washburn is challenging you with a Dollar-for-Dollar Match for UNL Band Alumni Association. Thanks to Scott Washburn, all gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,000.
Make your gift at glowbigred.unl.edu by noon on Feb. 15. You can find the challenge information on our donation page.
Show us your love during Glow Big Red when you:
❤️ GIVE: Make a gift of $5 or more to support the Lentz/Snider Band Hall. Your contribution will help build a large new rehearsal space with cutting-edge technology for the Nebraska Bands program.
❤️ SHARE: Show your Valentine’s Day love by spreading the word on social media using the hashtag #GlowBigRed.
❤️ GLOW: Show others how your HEART GLOWS big for UNL by lighting up your room, home, or business!
Make a gift of $65 or more and the NU Foundation will send you a complementary Husker stocking hat to show our gratitude for your Husker love.
Love and generosity are in the air! Glow Big Red — 24 Hours of Husker Giving is Feb. 14-15 from noon to noon, and we’re counting on you. Will you be our Valentine?
Show us your love during Glow Big Red when you:
Give: Make a gift of $5 or more to support the Lentz/Snider Band Hall! Your contribution will help build a large new rehearsal space with cutting-edge technology for the Nebraska Bands program.
SHARE: Show your Valentine’s Day love by spreading the word on social media using the hashtag #GlowBigRed.
GLOW: Show others how your HEART GLOWS big for UNL by lighting up your room, home, or business!
This is our sixth Glow Big Red, and we know you’ll help us make Glow Big Red bigger and better than ever. Make your gift at glowbigred.unl.edu by noon on Feb. 15.
Let’s Glow All In for Glow Big Red, Huskers!
P.S. Make a gift of $65 or more and we’ll send you a complementary Husker stocking hat to show our gratitude for your Husker love. We love you right back, Huskers!
New music building under construction for the Hixon-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts. October 19, 2023. Photo by Craig Chandler / University Communication.
We still need approx. $6,000 to reach the final fundraising goal, so any amount you can send is greatly appreciated! Please read below to find out what your contribution will go towards.
The Nebraska Bands Program has been at the forefront of performance and pedagogy for more than 140 years. We look forward to a new rehearsal space with technology that will enable us to:
Link sections of the Cornhusker Marching Band who are now rehearsing in various spaces to enable full ensemble preparation while indoors.
Share cutting edge rehearsal techniques from our Ensemble Performance Lab with partner ensembles nationwide.
Engage in virtual side-by-side coaching with young bands that cannot afford a trip to the Lincoln campus.
Collaborate with composers worldwide to prepare and premiere new works.
Engage guest artists remotely to share their expertise with our students.
Capture the work of conducting students and enable concurrent voice-over coaching on video.
A mock-up of the future Westbrook Music Building.
The rebuilding of Westbrook Music Building will include a state-of-the-art band rehearsal hall. Jack and Mary Alice Snider left a sizeable amount at the University of Nebraska Foundation earmarked for “costs associated with constructing and equipping the ‘Lentz-Snider’ Hall, Glenn Korff School of Music, Hixson Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts, University of Nebraska–Lincoln.” We need your help to complete the project!
This is a very exciting project that goes way beyond buying chairs and music stands. PLEASE SHARE with other band alumni, friends, family, fans, etc. Remember to ask your employer for a contribution match!
