NU professors create SNAFU

By Marshall Bates
Norwich Guidon Staff Writer

On Nov. 29, a group of Norwich University professors held a small concert in Milano Ballroom. Admission was free to all university faculty, staff and students. The group played mostly songs from the 1940s, such as their own rendition of Mister Santa.

The group, SNAFU, is comprised of five university professors, each of whom brings their own experience from the field of music to the group.

Jim Ryan, a professor from the university's criminal justice department, has been playing his trumpet in public performances since 1988.

"I'd been performing publicly when I came here to Norwich in 1997," Ryan said. "I got so tied up in my studies, getting ready to become a college professor, that I barely had time to practice, much less find some kind of outlet."

Recently, Ryan discovered other professors at Norwich who share his love of musical performance.

"I then found Professor Pennington, who played piano, and Professor Jagemann, who plays saxophone," Ryan said. "Once those two people were in place, we just built it from there."

Two additional members rounded out the group at the end of the 2000-2001 spring semester: Victor Ehly plays the bass, and Fran Chevalier provides the vocals.

"When I heard that the group was playing songs from the 1940s, I thought that would be something I would like to try and do," said Professor Chevalier of the university's modern language department.

Jason Jagemann, who teaches political science at Norwich, lends his college experiences to the group.

"In college, although I was a political science major, I played in the top jazz ensemble and top jazz combo, along with recording a CD in graduate school," said Jagemann"I never played professionally, always for fun, which is why I'm glad to have colleagues that are also in this for the fun."

The group meets approximately once a week to practice, according to Rena Pennington, a Norwich history professor.

"Jim and I got together about twice a week over the summer to work on our duets while everyone else got together to work on theirs, as well," Pennington said. "Now, if we can find a drummer we will actually become a band."

This was the group's first real public concert, but they do hope to be able to make it an every semester event.

"We definitely benefit as amateur musicians from playing in public," Ryan said. "I know from personal experience, that from a long layoff that you have to keep going to get over any inhibitions that you might have."

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