Final flourish
Music school dean to retire in May
After 14 years as dean of the School of Music, Dr. Will May, BM ’69, will step down following the commencement ceremonies in May.
May earned a master’s degree from the University of North Texas in 1975 and a PhD in music education from the University of Kansas in 1983. In 1981, May joined the music faculty of the University of North Texas (UNT), subsequently serving as chair of UNT’s Division of Music Education from 1987-93, associate dean from 1993-99, and interim dean (1996-97, 1999-2000). When he arrived back at Baylor in 2000, May said he inherited an academic unit whose strengths had been gradually and carefully built up by his predecessors.
However, May knew that the School of Music needed to make a strong case for its importance on campus. “The school was, and still is, an expensive operation because of the way that we deliver instruction,” May said. “It became a goal of mine to demonstrate what the music school meant to the University, both as a source of culture on campus and as a window to the university for those in our local community and beyond. And so we focused on very public displays of musical prowess that would demonstrate the great things going on in the music school and would reflect the quality and character of Baylor students.”
May said he had two strategies for improving the School of Music’s performance—both on the stage and in the classroom. The first was to enhance the quality of the faculty. The second was to attract outstanding student musicians.
May’s colleagues believe he has succeeded on both counts.
“Dean May shepherded us through a period of unprecedented growth,” said Stephen Heyde, The Mary Franks Thompson Professor of Orchestral Studies and Conductor-in-Residence at Baylor. “This is reflected in the excellence of the faculty, most of whom were hired during his tenure, and the exceptional musicianship and scholarship of our student body. I believe our major ensembles, the most public indicator of the capability of any School of Music, are at their highest level of all time.”
May will be making a very fitting career move upon his retirement as dean—back to the classroom at his alma mater.
“Teaching really is my first love,” he said. “When I began thinking about how I wanted to spend the last years of my career before I fully retire, it soon became clear to me that I wanted to spend my time directly nurturing students in a way that I have been unable to do as an administrator.”
A dedication to students has been the hallmark of May’s career, Heyde noted. “I think the single most prominent characteristic of Dean May’s leadership has been his love of the students and his genuine pride and joy in their accomplishments,” he said. “Dean May has always advocated tirelessly for what is in the students’ best interest. I don’t think any dean could ask for a finer legacy than that.”