You may have watched him descend and levitate before the stage at the

Tennessee Theater while seated at his organ. Years ago, you may have

listened to his fingers strike the notes comprising the Wizard of Oz

pre-show music — “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

To some he is known as “that man who plays that big moving organ,” but to

students at the University of Tennessee, he is known as Chancellor Bill

Snyder.

Snyder spent a fraction of his 48-year musical career playing the organ in

church prior to the 19 years he spent playing the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ at

the Tennessee Theater. He provides pre-show music for all showings of

movies, parties, special events (such as the Centennial Celebration last

fall of the College of Human Ecology), weddings, barbershop singing

conventions, etc.

Now, students do not have to wait for an occasion or make a trip to the

Tennessee Theater to hear the Chancellor play, although the experience

would be worthwhile. Instead they can find a collection of 19 songs

performed by the Chancellor on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ at the UT

Bookstore. Songs on the recording include: “Tennessee Waltz,” “Moon River,”

“Beer Barrel Polka” and “UT Alma Mater.”

You are probably wondering why the Chancellor of UT decided to make a

recording of songs on the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ — never commercially

recorded before now.

“There are three reasons: personal satisfaction, preserving some songs

played on that organ for posterity and to raise money for music

scholarships,” Snyder said. “I made a recording of the Wurlitzer Organ at

the Tennessee Theater because it’s something that has been on my agenda for

a long time.”

Anyone can purchase a cassette for $12 or a CD for $15 at the UT Bookstore

or directly from the chancellor’s office. Checks must be made payable to

UT. All net proceeds will help provide music scholarships in the UT

department of music.

“Since music has meant so much to me in my life as an avocation, I wanted

to do something to help our music department attract promising music majors

through scholarship support,” Snyder said.

Starting with the piano lessons in the third grade followed by lessons as

a senior in high school, Snyder has been playing the organ for 48

years.

“Gee! It does not seem possible that it has been that long,” Snyder

said.

When asked what his favorite song is from the collection, he said, “‘As

Time Goes By.’ That is a favorite not only for the words and music to the

tune but because it is music from one of my all time favorite movies,

Casablanca.”