On February 2, Eastern alumnus and American Idol contestant, Rod Snyder, put on a concert in the Gough Great Room. Snyder was a contestant on American Idol in 2004, the year that Carrie Underwood won. He made it to the semi-final round.
“It sounded a bit unpolished, but I liked it,” sophomore Steven Chaffee said. The concert was very informal, with only about 25 attendees, but time well spent for some students.
“I thought it was a nice relaxing way to spend my Saturday evening, and I liked how he played covers and originals,” first-year Allison Verdic said.
Snyder played originals from his newly released CD, Leaving Hollywood Behind. The listeners were able to relate to his original lyrics of hope to all who are trying to follow Christ. He sang of the “promise land,” the “city in the sky,” and grace. “God’s grace really is free and we are undeserving [of it],” Snyder said.
Snyder also sang cover songs including, “Broken” by Lifehouse and “God Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts.
He connected with the audience by sharing his experiences at Eastern. Reminiscing about the Sunday night worship service that was once held in the Gough Great Room, he had the audience join him in singing a few praise songs.
If you happened to miss his concert and want to learn more about his music, you can visit his Web site, rodsnydermusic.com.
Mikaela Brown 
Sophia Hunter 
Jayme Fisher