Biography

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Will Schneider has performed as a sideman and as a leader across the Midwest in cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Columbus, appearing in venues and clubs including Dick’s Den, Ginger Rabbit, Elastic Arts, Fulton Street Collective, Lucille’s Jazz Lounge, the 35th annual Elkhart Jazz Festival. Besides working in his own self-titled project, Will is a founder and member of Third Shore Collective, a group dedicated to blurring the lines of musical genres writing and performing works designed for improvisers. Schneider also maintained a tenure at Jazz Nights at the Ottawa Tavern in Toledo, OH throughout it's activities from 2021 until 2023 and has a growing presence as a improvising horn player and bandleader in the region. In the summer of 2021, Will presented Third Shore Collective at the International Horn Symposium.

Although his focus is primarily on improvisation and specifically improvisation coming from the jazz tradition, Will has also appeared with regional orchestras including the Adrian Symphony, Midland Symphony and Saginaw Bay Symphony as well as pit orchestras, chamber ensembles and wind ensembles throughout Michigan and northwest Ohio. Schneider has also appeared with local rock and pop oriented groups including the Klondike Steamboat Band, Arctic Clam, Katie's Randy Cat and Twenty-TwentyFour.

Will has also a dedicated educator, teaching privately for over a decade covering horn, improvisation, western classical and composition. Alongside performing, he currently serves as a band director working with students ranging from fifth grade up to high school in both jazz and wind ensemble settings.