Mary Kathryn Brewer, assistant professor of music, is already making connections with her students and impacting the community after her second year at Taylor.
After teaching voice as an adjunct professor at Taylor from 2009 to 2017, Brewer accepted a full-time role at the beginning of the 2024 Fall semester, teaching voice lessons and classes, such as Musical Theater Styles.
Brewer has now been able to experience numerous Taylor events, such as Silent Night last December, where she led the Lyric Theatre in the National Anthem. She said she was able to experience the full student body of Taylor.
“Every school has community,” she said. “But Taylor's definition is special because of that spiritual aspect, because of God centered community and the various ways that we are a part of each other's lives.”
Brewer fostered her Taylor community experience within the Music, Theatre and Dance department Conor Angell, department co-chair and professor of music, said.
Grace Bradshaw, a junior musical theatre major, has been a student of Brewer's since her first year at Taylor. Their relationship has grown both personally and musically, Bradshaw said.
“She very much is someone that it feels comfortable and easy to be around,” Bradshaw said. “You feel very supported by her, which is great. And, it's not that I ever feel that I have to prove myself to her, but that she wants to help me grow. ”
Brewer said that she hopes to form that kind of connection with every student in the department, valuing them for more than their academic or vocal talent.
Her encouragement went beyond Bradshaw’s own growth as a performer, Bradshaw said. Watching the way that Brewer taught also changed the way Bradshaw thought about her future and her career.
“Working with her and watching how she (Brewer) teaches, and being so uplifted and encouraged by her has really made me want to teach and be able to do that for others,” Bradshaw said.
Appreciation from students like Bradshaw points to Brewer’s ability to create a learning environment where students feel both supported and challenged. Whether in rehearsal for a show, vocal lessons or casual conversation, Brewer is intentional about building a culture in which students grow in their skills as well as their faith, Bradshaw said
This influence requires intentional thought, Brewer said. She wants students to feel prepared to take the skills and confidence they learn at Taylor out into the professional world as they pursue whatever they feel God is calling them to after graduation.
“I want students to feel that they have the toolbox that they need to build the life and profession that they feel called by God to build,” Brewer said, “That they have the skill set, the confidence, the knowledge to go out and be curious and perform, share music, do whatever it is that God has called them to do.”
Brewer's vision has already impacted Taylor's Music, Theatre and Dance department. Students, including Bradshaw, speak to Brewer’s constant encouragement and the deep impact of her teaching, which is intended to help the whole person grow.
Angell said that this intentionality is shown through every interaction she has, both with fellow faculty and with students. They describe Dr. Brewer as someone who listens well, encourages others and builds trust through relationships with those around her.
“Dr. Brewer models authenticity; she pays close attention to the things people say and has a gift for making people feel seen, heard and valued,” Angell said.
