STC instructor unmasked as synth-pop songstress

As a top graduate of her McAllen High School class, Kim Snyder knew she was bound for higher education.

But while she spends her days as a business instructor at South Texas College, Snyder has also carved out a career as a musician after hours.

The 36-year-old vocalist and pianist is best known throughout the Valley for her laid-back performances at Sahadi’s, various bars, clubs, cafés and McAllen city gigs. and she is a highly sought-after performer for Christmas and Valentine’s Day events.

“I cannot be a one-dimensional person,” she said. “If I were to be all about music, I’d get sick and tired of music.” The same goes for her career as an educator.

WATCH HER LIVE
WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 2; Jan. 16
WHERE: Sahadi, 709 N. 10th St., McAllen

When administrators at South Texas Community College, as it was known 10 years ago, read an article in The Monitor about a young woman with a Master of Business Administration pulling parts in a junkyard for her family’s auto parts store, eyebrows were raised and they wanted to know more about Snyder.

Working at Action Auto Parts, Snyder, 36, picked up a lot of skills.

“When it’s a family business, you’re doing everything from cleaning toilets to picking parts,” she said.

But Snyder also learned valuable abilities such as business management, bookkeeping, customer service and marketing.

Snyder began hosting seminars about business and entrepreneurship, and then joined the STCC staff doing customer service. Soon she was teaching as an instructor of business administration at the college, where she still currently works.

• CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A FREE SONG BY SNYDER

Those working toward a Bachelor of Applied Technology might take one of her many courses including Principles of Marketing, Advertising and Sales Promotion and Small Business Management.

“The word ‘teacher’ is not how I describe my job. I go hang out with friends and talk about issues and do some problem solving,” Snyder said.

A career in education is not what Snyder expected for herself, but she does recall a high school mentor who helped her develop her passion for her other life.

“Mr. (Scott) Reddoch made it cool, in my mind, to be a teacher,” Snyder said. “It wasn’t my goal to be a teacher though.”

Reddoch was the band director for McAllen High School in the ‘90s. His focus was percussion, but Snyder remembers him inspiring more than the drummers. He would lend his preamplifier to anyone who needed it for a gig, and always encouraged his students, Snyder said.

And music was something Snyder connected with long before she learned about technical writing and human resource management.

Her first gig was when she was about 12 years old. At a McDonald’s in Mission, Snyder played polkas on her keyboards for the Winter Texans who would stop and listen while snacking on a cheeseburger and small fries.

It wouldn’t be until 15 years later that Snyder would start singing along to her tunes.

Music has always been and always will be a passion for Snyder, though she is adamant that her career as a musician is not just another hobby.

She is often compared to the jazzy singer and pianist Diana Krall, but Snyder’s image is evolving away from the sexy songstress stuck behind a piano.

“It’s awesome to be compared to someone amazing like that,” Snyder said. “But I want to do something creative and different.”

So Snyder is moving front and center with her newest instrument: a keytar. The singer-songwriter will be sporting a synthesizer on a strap and crashing gigs of artists she knows to practice with the wearable keyboard “to get the jitters out,” she said.

Snyder will combine classical, pop and rock music to create a unique sound. That is not to say she doesn’t enjoy the lounge singer side of herself.

“I just really want to show my personality and sense of humor,” she said. “And have fun.”

Snyder gives her all to her work and her music. She continues to learn and grow, whether it’s introducing advanced technology in her classroom (online classes are available, where students can view and listen to the class from home) or taking piano, voice or art lessons.

“I’m not a slacker at work, and I’m not a hobbyist with my music,” she said. “And there’s a performance element in the classroom, too.”

There have been times when Snyder’s two lives have coalesced, such as the 2005 album A Valley Christmas. The project paired STC faculty and local musicians to create 12 tracks of holiday tunes. A portion of the proceeds benefited the college.

“I hope people can look at me say, ‘She has an education, teaches a class and has a life. I can do that, too,’” Snyder said.

Her new band Keytar Dreams, featuring various local musicians, will debut Feb. 5, at Sahadi’s in McAllen, and Feb. 26 for Music After Hours at the McAllen Convention Center.

Amy Nichol Smith covers local music for Festiva. You can reach her at (956) 683-4420 or at asmith@themonitor.com.