Al Schnier
Al Schnier grew up on skis. From an early age, he knew the feeling: That indescribable freedom of aiming downhill, building speed and flying down a mountain. Whether it was Val Bialas Ski Center, the local hill in his hometown of Utica, New York, or the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, there was something magical, tangible and re-energizing about the experience. It wasn’t until later that he picked up the guitar that he found a new way to lose himself in the moment.
Schnier is one of two guitarists in the progressive rock, jam-focused band moe. and has been an integral part of the quintet’s three-decades of successful music-making. As a songwriter and singer, too, Schnier puts an emphasis on the band playing a variety of music, avoiding just one genre, trying to create a more organic, less “pre-packaged” style. The same as a day of skiing that consists of a different terrain and snow conditions, a moe. show brings the audience on a sonic experience that changes and evolves through every turn, every note, every song. In this interview, get the inside scoop on what drew Schnier to be a ski patroller at Snow Ridge Ski Resort in upstate New York in his off-time, expectations for moe.’s upcoming round of new music and why he’s hooked on skiing for good.
