I cannot count all the times I have driven in Erdenheim and seen the sign on Bethlehem Pike announcing the Snyder School of Singing. “There must be a story there,” I assumed.

As it turns out, there is. Fifteen of the five-year-old school's talented students will perform “Chicago: Teen Edition” (PG) this weekend at The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill’s (PCCH) Widener Hall. 

The school currently enrolls more than 400 students. Its first full-scale musical was “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in May 2024. Its founder, Julie Snyder, told the Local, “We have offered musical theater classes and camps for kids and teens since the beginning.”

A family affair

Snyder is a Pittsburgh area native. She earned a degree in Voice Performance at Susquehanna University, came to Philadelphia in 2003 to attend graduate school at Temple University, where she earned a master’s degree in 2005 and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in 2010, both in voice performance. She lives in Springfield Township with her son Wesley, 14, and daughter Natalie, 12.

She began working at Temple University's Boyer School of Music as a teaching assistant in 2004 and joined the adjunct faculty in 2005, leaving in 2020. Snyder, a soprano, was a member of the much lauded Chestnut Hill choir, The Crossing. The group won Grammy Awards for Best Choral Performance in 2018, 2019, and 2025.

“My mother was a singer,” Snyder told the Local in a 2020 interview, “and I began taking piano lessons at the age of 5 and studying voice when I was still in elementary school. I took part in junior high and high school productions, and then came a time to commit to serious study.”

Snyder opened a private voice studio in her home in 2005. During the pandemic, from summer 2020 to fall 2021, she held classes outside at Fort Washington State Park, with two years of summer camp at the park as well as school-year classes in spring and fall. “It was the best solution I could come up with for us to sing together in person,” she said. “In hindsight it was a very meaningful time for us.”

She opened the music school on Bethlehem Pike in January 2020, two months before pandemic shutdowns began. There are currently 19 music teachers at the school, including Snyder. She also opened Solstice Dance Academy in fall 2024 in the same space with a partner, Jessica Tiffany. Tiffany is an English teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy and a lifelong dancer. 

There’s plenty of overlap between the two performance schools as well. The choreographer for “Chicago” teaches at Solstice, and several of the Snyder students dance there. Snyder’s own daughter is a member of the Solstice competition team, takes voice lessons at Snyder, and is in the cast of “Chicago.”  

Both children help behind the scenes, assisting with classes, setup for events, selling tickets, and whatever else needs four extra hands.

Building working arts professionals

Erdenheim’s Robyn Knox has children studying at Snyder and gives high praise for its founder. “My children have been enrolled at Snyder's School of Singing for several years, and the experience has been truly exceptional,” she said. “From dance classes and musical productions to vocal training, they have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of their involvement. … In particular, the opportunities to practice and perform have significantly boosted my daughter's confidence and resilience.” Her daughter will appear in the upcoming production of “Chicago.”

Diana Rodgers, an independent educational consultant and Chestnut Hill resident, is another proud parent. “All three of my girls are students at the Snyder School,” she said. “And my oldest is a 'Chicago' cast member. As a professional educator, I am constantly impressed by the level of thought that Julie puts into all of the curricula. … Every time my kids are at the Snyder Schools, about 12 to 15 hours a week in total, they are learning and growing. As an educator and a parent, I can't ask for anything more.”

In addition to her singing and dance schools, Snyder has been a soloist and youth music director at PCCH. She also performed with the New York Philharmonic, the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Chester County, Opera Philadelphia, and many more. She led camps, courses, and workshops at the Center on the Hill, and Abington High School, among others.

Snyder is understandably proud that while most students take the classes because they love music or dance, some have gone on to perform professionally. “I feel kind of strange dropping names because I can’t remember all of them,” she said. “I’ve taught so many students over the years, and none of them are what I’d call 'famous.' They are just working professionals in the arts.”

Tickets to“Chicago” are $26 for adults, $13.50 for students and seniors. The production runs Saturday, May 31, 7 p.m., and Sunday, June 1, 5 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill, Widener Hall, 8855 Germantown Ave. All tickets are general admission, and all seats are first come, first served. For tickets, visit snyderschoolofsinging.com/chicago-tickets. 

Len Lear can be reached at LenLear@chestnuthilllocal.com.