Mia Ray Pursues Dream of Composing Music
MBU alumna Mia Ray was recently accepted into the graduate program at Butler University, enabling her to continue pursuing her dream of music composition.
Mia graduated from Maranatha in May 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with concentrations in Arranging and Piano Pedagogy. She loved composition and arranging and hoped to continue in that direction after graduation, but the Lord closed the door. Mia reflects, “I wanted to give up on writing, but Dr. Ledgerwood, one of my musical heroes, encouraged me to ‘focus on learning my craft’ and wait for the Lord’s timing.
The Lord instead opened a door for Mia to teach music at a Christian school. During the year following graduation, she taught kindergarten through twelfth grade, gaining valuable firsthand experience teaching music to children of all ages. She also took composition lessons from well-known composer Dr. Frank Felice at Butler University.
“Dr. Felice was excited with the foundation the professors at Maranatha laid for me,” writes Mia, “and he guided me through the process of writing a portfolio to enter graduate school.” She submitted the portfolio and was accepted to study at Butler University this fall. She will be pursuing a M.M. in Music Composition.
Dr. Ledgerwood, Mia’s composition teacher for four years, is proud of her accomplishments and looks forward to how the Lord will use her in the future: “Mia will make a fine student. She brings great piano skills, a tremendous work ethic, and a spark that will be an asset in her graduate studies.”
Mia recognizes that her musical ability is a gift from God, and she desires to use it for His glory. “I want to encourage others who are seeking the next step on God’s path to keep chasing those dreams He has placed within you. They make you unique, and they are there for a reason!”
Written by Makayla Stevenson
Excerpts from Mia’s MBU senior piano recital are below.