By U.S. Navy Music Program
Musician 1st Class Ryan Snell spent most of his childhood in Goose Creek, South Carolina, a working-class community just outside historic Charleston. Stability was an everyday challenge for the young student, but one place that remained constant was school. Specifically, the band room at Westview Middle School.
“The struggle is an important part of who we are,” Snell reflects. “But I was fortunate to stay in the same middle and high school the entire time. That consistency and the educators within it made all the difference.”
Snell credits his fifth-grade choir teacher for starting his path into band. “The fifth-grade choir teacher didn’t like my audition, thankfully.” It was in sixth-grade band where he met Ronnie Ward, the Westview Middle School band director, who played a pivotal role in shaping both his musicianship and his sense of stability during a chaotic time in his life. “He made sure to have the band room open every school day an hour before and after school for us to practice, giving himself to the education of students.”
Snell says Ronnie Ward was more than just a band director; he was an inspiring educator and gifted jazz trumpeter who saw potential where others may not have. He gave him his first dollar for performing after he played a trumpet etude for all-state band on the tuba, proving that tubists are capable of more than just background parts.
Always encouraging Snell to push boundaries, he showed up one morning with a surprise: a copy of Unleash the Beast! by the Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble, featuring over 30 tubas and euphoniums performing everything from Bach to Chick Corea. That recording opened his eyes to what was possible and solidified his path forward in music. Ward believed in his students and gave them the tools and inspiration to believe in themselves.
That recording led to Tennessee Technological University, where Snell studied under the legendary R. Winston Morris and performed with that same Tennessee Tech Tuba Ensemble. While earning a curriculum instruction degree, he was selected to assume Morris’ chair in the faculty brass quintet, which Snell cites as one of his proudest accomplishments. Snell learned powerful life lessons through this mentorship, saying R. Winston Morris taught his students to be good people and that music was the medium for expression.
Snell began auditioning for jobs in 2017, setting his sights on military music. A finalist for the Air Force Academy Band and Naval Academy Band auditions, a member of the Naval Academy Band suggested auditioning for the U.S. Navy Fleet Bands the following week.
After winning the audition and joining the Navy, his first assignment in Newport, Rhode Island, is what he describes as his formative tour for growth. “It was a great place to begin. Lots of growth in Sailorization and figuring out what the job is.” One of the highlights of this tour was getting to perform during New York City Fleet Week. He recalls an evening performance in Times Square with the lights shining on his high-energy brass band. “We literally rocked out to the packed streets of 100,000 people.”
Snell is now stationed in San Diego, performing a largely ceremonial mission. The work is steady, sometimes repetitive, but always meaningful. “It’s important to remember the only times our shipmates see us perform are on their best and worst days of their lives.”
As the leader of the brass quintet, his ensemble now leans into the challenge of connecting with audiences saturated with digital perfection. The members of the brass quintet are not just musicians, but relevant entertainers. For him, that connection is strongest in schools. “The most gratifying performances we do are in elementary and middle schools. We have positive and exciting interactions with children. They are just there to have a great time, and they ask some of the best questions.” As he reflects on the first band he heard in elementary school, Snell finds the experience of being someone else’s first band experience rewarding.
From the early days in a middle school band room in Goose Creek to the bright lights of Times Square, Snell’s journey has been shaped by resilience, mentorship, and service. His story is one of transformation; not just through the power of music, but through the people who helped him find stability and purpose when he needed it most. Today, as a Navy musician and leader, Snell continues that legacy by inspiring the next generation, connecting with communities, and serving his fellow Sailors with dedication and heart.
“Service is difficult,” he says, “but serving for others is worth it.” In every note he plays, Snell carries forward the lessons of his mentors, proving that music, when shared with others, can be one of the most powerful acts of service.
