Jessica Sneeringer (Conductor, Bass Trombone)
Jessica Sneeringer is a graduate of The Ohio State University earning Bachelor’s Degrees in both Music Education and Trombone Performance as well as a Master’s Degree in Music Education. Jessica is currently in her 25th year of teaching, this being her 19th year as the Director of Bands at Columbus Academy in Gahanna, Ohio as well as the Chair of the Performing Arts Department and the Dixon Art Chair Award Recipient. A member of the Central Ohio Brass Band starting in 1999, she held the solo trombone chair until 2004, when she stepped onto the podium. Over the 16 years that she conducted COBB the group enjoyed much success, including being 1st Section Champions a record five times at the North American Brass Band Association Championships and being invited to such prestigious events as the Great American Brass Band Festival, the Butlins Contest in the UK, the Ohio Music Educators Association Conference, and the 2019 International Trombone Festival. She added the title of adjudicator in 2022 judging the distinguished events of NABBA, the US Open, and the Dublin Festival of Brass.
Jessica has been a clinician, judge, and coach for several outstanding student groups including the Ohio State University Marching Band, Capital University Junior Winds, The Ohio All-State Band, and The All-Ohio State Fair Band. Jessica is currently on staff at Jazz Arts Group (Columbus) as the director of the Columbus Youth Jazz Ensemble as well as the director of the Columbus Community Jazz Band. A freelance trombonist, Jessica has performed with many groups including the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, lead trombone with the Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra (under the direction of Todd Stoll), the 1999 Disney Collegiate All-Star Band (lead), Athena Brass Band (bass), Monarch Brass (bass), Johnny Mathis, The Who, Allen Vizzuti, and a variety of other jazz ensembles.
As a conductor, Jessica has had the great fortune to conduct many wonderful ensembles. Since 2012, Jessica has been the conductor of the Athena Brass Band, having had the honor of conducting the group on several occasions. She is very appreciative and honored to have had the opportunity to conduct the Athena Brass Band at the 2021 Midwest Clinic as well as various International Women’s Brass Conferences. She has also been a guest conductor with several groups including Holiday Brass (Baltimore), the Brass Band of Columbus, and the Otterbein University Wind Ensemble. Jessica is a member of the Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity as well as the American School Band Directors Association.
Jessica makes her home in Columbus, Ohio with her kids Josh and Jordan.