Brett Gray ’15 Tackles Two Passions on Stage and the Gridiron

February 4, 2014

For a Division III football player, commitment to the game is essential. Pursuing much outside of the sport is challenging to say the least. Junior Music Education major Brett Gray ‘15 sized up that challenge and tackled it head on.

Pursuing a
degree in Music Education
while playing on an
NCAA Football team
didn’t seem possible at most schools, so Brett turned to Chapman to make it work. “Unlike other schools who shy away from doing both, my voice teachers embraced it, and so did the coaches,” says Brett.

His love for music began when his father played piano to him at an early age, but it really took flight when he joined his middle school choir in 7th grade. Watching his teacher share music with her students inspired him to do the same. He says his “goal is to be able to share music with kids and show them how beautiful it can be.”

Juggling a demanding major and playing on a college football team is not easy, but he says he gets it done with time management and learning how to prioritize. “Both football and music require serious amounts of discipline which helps them work together. It’s all about being organized and having your goals set. That means knowing what you want and knowing how to get it done.”

Just before leaving his New Jersey home, Brett’s parents told him to “live the full college experience.” He intends to accomplish his goals on stage and the gridiron. Since he has a whole year left before graduating, we’ll continue to cheer him on from both crowds.