Since becoming an all–steinway institution in 2018, William Carey University’s Winters School of Music has undergone a transformation that has reshaped its enrollment, culture, and national profile. For this small, private Christian university in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, all–steinway status did not merely mark an achievement; it accelerated a broader institutional vision already in motion.

The results are visible in the numbers. Enrollment in the Winters School of Music climbed steadily after 2018, surpassing 200 music majors by the 2022–2023 academic year and reaching 340 students by fall 2025. That growth has required new academic strategies, including multiple sections of freshman theory, and has intensified planning for expanded facilities to support a thriving and increasingly diverse program.

“If we can keep the vision alive, then I don’t care about impossible.”

Dr. Brian Murphy, D.M.A., Professor of Music and Piano Studies, has watched the change unfold over nearly a decade.

“When I started at William Carey in the 2014–2015 school year, we had around eighty-to-ninety music majors,” Murphy said. “It was healthy for a small liberal arts school, but nothing like what you see today.”

A Vision Before the Momentum

The Winters School of Music’s momentum emerged from a period of challenge. In the early 2000s, enrollment was modest and the program maintained a relatively low profile. By the mid–2010s, however, university leadership began articulating a far more ambitious goal: to grow the program to two hundred music majors while elevating its standing through a deeper commitment to artistic excellence.

At the center of that vision was Dr. Don Odom, Dean of the Winters School of Music and Ministry Studies. Odom believed William Carey should become an all–steinway institution, regarding world-class instruments not as ornament but as infrastructure for serious musical study.

Murphy joined the effort shortly after arriving at the university and attended steinway & sons’ “Keys to Finding Funds” seminar in New York to better understand the path forward. Even so, he initially wondered whether the goal was simply too ambitious.

“Dr. Odom used to say, ‘If we can keep the vision alive, then I don’t care about impossible,’” Murphy recalled.

That conviction began to shape the school. Fundraising intensified. Faculty unified around a shared objective. The possibility that William Carey might become the first all–steinway institution in Mississippi no longer felt abstract.

Tragedy and Turning Point

Then, in January 2017, a tornado tore through campus in the early morning hours, damaging every building and causing more than $106 million in destruction. The music department relocated temporarily to the University of Southern Mississippi and Hardy Street Baptist Church for the spring semester.

What might have been only a setback became, in part, a turning point. Many pianos were destroyed or damaged beyond repair, and insurance proceeds created an unexpected source of funding. Faculty worked well beyond formal responsibilities to secure additional donations. The university encouraged designated giving and redirected funds to support the effort.

Later that same year, the school endured another profound loss: Dr. Odom died on November 7, 2017, at sixty-one. His vision, however, did not leave with him. A steinway Model D concert grand in the recital hall now bears his name, honoring the dean whose determination helped redirect the future of the program.

When the new steinway pianos began to arrive, the effect was immediate.

“Before the new pianos began to arrive, the instruments were… well, let’s just say they weren’t good,” Murphy said with a laugh. “When the steinways started to trickle in, it was astonishing. Students immediately noticed the difference, and it made a real impact on both their practice and performance.”

Murphy is quick to note that the benefits extend well beyond piano majors. Students in performance, music therapy, worship studies, and other areas encounter steinway instruments in recitals, juries, lessons, and ensemble settings. “Quality instruments elevate everyone’s experience,” he said.

Partnership and Infrastructure

A crucial partner in William Carey’s journey was steinway Piano Gallery Spanish Fort, which worked closely with Murphy and other faculty members to select instruments suited to the school’s expanding needs. The gallery’s guidance helped match each piano to its intended room and educational purpose, establishing a consistent standard of quality across campus.

“It has been a blessing and an honor to partner with the administration and faculty at William Carey University over the years by providing the finest pianos for the study of music,” said Christy Myers, owner of Steinway Piano Gallery Spanish Fort. “It has been truly inspiring to witness the growth of the University’s programs, faculty, and student enrollment at a time when so many other institutions are facing challenges.”

Facilities have evolved in step with the program’s growth. William Carey now includes the Thomas Fine Arts Center, a dedicated music building, and Carey Band Hall, which houses instrumental studies, music therapy, and classrooms. Performance venues include a large auditorium seating more than 1,600, a recital hall, and the University Chapel — each equipped with steinway pianos, including a Model D, Model B, and Model S.

“These pianos are the heartbeat of our buildings....”

A Culture Designed for Students to Thrive

For Murphy, the story is not only one of enrollment and facilities, but of culture.

“There’s a mutual respect among students with different strengths and career paths,” he said. “That diversity creates inspiring conversations and collaborations.”

William Carey has also embraced innovation in its academic of ferings, including an online doctoral degree in music designed for mid-career professionals. While emerging technologies such as remote practice tools remain under exploration, the school’s trajectory is unmistakably forward-looking.

“We have something really special here,” Murphy said. “The combination of quality instruments, supportive faculty, and diverse programs has created a culture where students can truly thrive. I’m excited for what the next ten years will bring.”

Brandon Hardin, Dean of the Winters School of Music, frames the transformation in human terms as much as institutional ones.

“Watching our students, whether they are training for ministry, music therapy, or the concert hall, work with these instruments is a daily blessing,” Hardin said. “This growth we have experienced isn’t just a statistic; it represents hundreds of lives we’ve been tasked with nurturing. We want every student who walks through our doors to know they are worth the very best we can offer.”

Even with rapid expansion — from roughly eighty-five music majors to more than three hundred forty — Hardin says the school has preserved its character.

“There is a unique culture here at Carey,” he said. “Even as we have grown, we have remained a family that values excellence. These pianos are the heartbeat of our buildings, ensuring that as our students prepare for their future careers, they do so with a standard that reflects the beauty of the Gospel.”

For William Carey University, all–steinway status has become more than a designation. It is a framework for growth: a visible standard, a recruiting signal, and a daily expression of the institution’s belief that students rise to what is placed before them.