News & Updates

As Jack’s 100^th birthday approaches on July 24th, we’d like to take a moment to share some of the many highlights of his 37-year career at the University of Nebraska. Jack served as director of bands/marching band and professor of French horn at UNL from 1950-1986.

After serving in the United States Army during World War II, Jack completed his undergrad and master’s degrees from the university. After teaching at Kearney High School for one year, he was asked to come back to the university in 1950 to teach low brass, percussion and assist with the band program under Donald Lentz.

Jack expanded the band program in his first years, made improvements and took different approaches – all with the goal of improving the situation for the students.

Jack’s first show as director of the Cornhusker Marching Band was the 1961 North Dakota game where it rained ALL week. The film of that halftime show is (now) humorous… the highlight being when twirler Joyce Burns made her debut, jumping out of the oversized bass drum just as the sun broke through the clouds, starting the tradition of the twirler being called the “Sunshine Girl.”

The first women auditioned for the Marching Band in 1971, but of the five who auditioned, none were accepted. The next year, five women were accepted into the group.  

In 1973, Jack assisted in getting alumni together to form the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Band Alumni Association to establish resources for both long and short term projects and to assist the Cornhusker Marching Band in raising funds for a three-week European tour.

From May 15-June 6, 1974, Jack led 168 band members on a European tour visiting Switzerland, Germany, England, Belgium and the Netherlands, giving a total of nine concerts. Jack designed a 60-minute half time show with marches, show tunes and Disney tunes. Such exposure brought national recognition to the Nebraska Bands and attracted students from all over the country.

“Jack Snider was nothing short of an iconic figure in music at UNL. His storied career as Director of Bands was the stuff of legend. No UNL Band Alumni Weekend ended without a standing ovation for Jack Snider. Very few concerts on the UNL campus happened without Jack Snider in the audience. His mind and ears were formidable. His humor was dry, yet generous and so very smart. He was an inspiration to all.

John W. Richmond, former Glenn Korff School of Music Director

Jack was a member of the American Bandmasters Association, co-founder and charter member of the Nebraska Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, Phi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Gamma Lambda and Kiwanis International. He also co-founded the Nebraska Marching Band Festival, the nation’s largest indoor marching band competition.

Community and state-wide activities also occupied much of Jack’s time and energy. He was active in Lincoln Symphony as well as church functions. Each summer he worked with the All-State Music Clinic for high school students.

Jack was known as a faculty member who showed great concern for individuals and his students with friendship extending beyond the members of the groups in which he participates, reaching many members of the university community both students and faculty.

Snider’s greatest pleasure is “his kids – seeing what they’ve done, watching them grow.” “One of the great things about the marching band is that it pulls kids from all areas of campus, from cattle ranchers to doctors.”

Jack Snider, 4/2/5/1983 Daily Nebraskan

After Jack passed away in February 2015, the Band Alumni Association chose to honor him by renaming the general fund the Jack R. Snider Band Alumni Association Fund. In addition, a scholarship was established in his name for marching band members to help students manage band-related expenses such as uniform dry cleaning, instrument maintenance, marching shoes and the credit hours required for participation in the band. Thanks to contributions from many of our alumni, we’ve been able to expand the number of scholarships offered and increase the amount of scholarship in the past five years.

Please consider a donation to https://go.unl.edu/sniderfund to continue Jack’s legacy of helping the students he loved so much.

October 31, 1935 – May 11, 2021
Robert G. “Bob” Maag was born on October 31, 1935, in Denver, Colorado, to Arthur and Edna (Willis) Maag. Bob graduated from McCook high school in 1953. He attended Colorado A&M (now CSU) and McCook Junior College before enrolling in the University of Nebraska—Lincoln where he was a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Gamma Lambda Band fraternity and Theta Xi. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1958 and the Master of Music in 1962. Bob was a charter member of the UNL Band Alumni Association.

On July 19,1958, in Lincoln, he married Joy Ann Schmidt of Red Oak, lowa. That same year he was hired by Waverly Public Schools to teach K-12 vocal and instrumental music. Bob taught in Waverly for 33 years where he developed an instrumental music program recognized statewide for its excellence. After retiring from Waverly, he taught elementary school band in Lincoln Public schools from 1991-1995. He then worked part-time for 18 years in the sheet music department at the downtown Dietze Music store. In 2008 he founded the Waverly Area Community Band which he conducted for 8 years.

Bob was a charter member and past president of Nebraska State Bandmasters Association where the Varsity Band was invited to perform at the state convention in 1983 and 1990. He co-authored a book entitled “History of the Band Movement in Nebraska”, published in 2006 which earned him NSBA’s Distinguished Service Award. ln 1988 he received the NSBA’s highest honor, the Donald A. Lentz outstanding Bandmaster Award and also the National Band Association Citation of Excellence.

He was a member of the National Association for Music Education and a lifetime member of the Nebraska Music Educators Association. He served as the NMEA Band Chairman from t977-I979 and was inducted into the NMEA Hall of Fame in 2013. He was a lifetime member of the NEA and the NSEA.

Bob played tuba in the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra for 18 years, the Lincoln Municipal Band for 24 years, and the Lincoln Community Concert Band for 19 years.

Memorial Service: 10:30 am Wednesday (5-19-21) Waverly United Methodist Church with Pastor Jacob Cloud officiating followed by a reception at the Waverly Community Center. Livestream at firstunitedwaverly.org/worship

Memorials to First United Methodist Church of Waverly or School District #145 Foundation for Education.

Read the full obituary.

Alumni organizations from college bands across the nation have formed a National Association of Alumni Bands to share best practices and provide leadership and coordination for such programs.  Leaders from alumni band groups announced the formation of the NAOAB with a mission “to serve as the indispensable advocate and resource for alumni bands across the U.S.”  By serving as the flagship association of the highest caliber, the association’s goal is to develop and enhance peer connections to solve issues, develop strategies and provide a conduit for alumni band leaders to learn how to better serve their constituency and members.

Alumni of America’s leading college and university marching bands carry on their premiere collegiate experience in marching band through such alumni associations.  The groups not only engender financial support for the current band but also provide an outlet for ongoing performances by alumni musicians.

UNL Band Alumni Association, Inc. is proud to be a member of the new national organization.

“Our vision with NAoAB is to help the leaders in collegiate alumni band programs grow and better understand best practices from other organizations and to help those who want to start their alumni bands, from the ground-level” said Geof Sloan, President and chair of the organizing committee.  The organizing committee was formed at the Alumni Band Symposium hosted by the University of Washington Husky Alumni Band in May 2019.  During the past year the committee followed a rigorous process of writing the governing documents and bylaws that formally created NAoAB.

Positive Impact

Many alumni bands have already benefited from three national symposia, where 24 Charter Member organizations have shared their successes and experiences.

“The excitement generated from the symposium presentations and roundtables enabled representatives from every attending alumni band organization to return home with energizing ideas to make game-changing contributions to their alumni bands.”

Lee Butts, President Elect of NAoAB

“Thanks to the stories shared at the symposium, we had the most successful Homecoming event in our very young history.  We used many of the ideas that you all brought to the symposium and came away with a balance that I then believed we could turn around this year and use to support our student band, the #1 reason for the existence of our band alumni organizations!”

Sarah Eishen, San Diego State University Marching Aztecs Alumni Band

“This organization was there to advise me as I assumed the role of new President of the Clemson University Tiger Band Association. That advice helped me avoid possible missteps as we rapidly grew with our goals.”

Tom Waldrop, newly elected Vice President of NAoAB

“After attending the first symposium in 2015 in Seattle, I couldn’t wait to get back to my next Gator Band Alumni Association Board meeting to relay ideas and stories.  Now, I am in a position to share our successes with others.”

Robin Oegerle, newly elected Treasurer of NAoAB

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Photos and Biographies of the NAoAB national officers:  www.AlumniBands.org/Leadership/

To see a complete list of the 24 Charter Members:  NAoAB Website–Charter Members

To learn more about the National Association of Alumni Bands: www.AlumniBands.org