Portland Musical Director Resource
Musical Director
Knute Snortum
Knute Snortum is a pianist and multi-keyboardist. He has been playing the piano ever since he could reach the keys. Playing at first mostly by ear, at 13 he started classical and jazz lessons. After playing in high school and college jazz bands, he started his professional career in the San Francisco East Bay Area during the 1970s and 1980s playing in several bands with styles ranging from funk, to rock, pop, fusion, and jazz. He took a break in the mid 1980s to raise a family but continued playing and directing at local churches. In the 1990s he added improv comedy accompaniment to his repertoire. In his free time Knute engraves sheet music.
Contact me: knute@snortum.net
Kyle Stebbins
Kyle Stebbins fancies himself an improviser moonlighting as a pianist. He's grateful to have accompanied the likes of Bob Odenkirk, Paul F. Tompkins, Kevin McDonald and more. He's also a video editor by trade, and enjoys the process of bringing art to life through sound. Lastly, he is very attractive.
Contact: thekyleman71@gmail.com
Mark Anderson
Mark Anderson began improvising at the keyboard as soon as he was old enough to sit up on a piano bench. He studied music education at Willamette University and the University of Illinois in the early 1980s, as well as theology at Southern Methodist University. He is a Level III Orff Schulwerk practitioner, and has extensive training and experience in drum circle facilitation and vocal improvisation. He has been a music educator, a church musician, a pastor, and, since 2002, a music educator again (ministry was a side quest), specializing in elementary general music. Musical improv became a paying gig in 2010, when he began music directing at Portland’s ComedySportz. He has music directed for long form shows including Harmonic Dissonance, Fourte, Solitaire, BABE: I Love Musicals, The Nancy Boys, B&B, And the Winner Is…, and Home for the Holidazed. He is married to Amy Milshtein, an improviser. They have four adult children, one grandchild, and a cat named Clyde.
You can reach him at musicianforhire@icloud.com.