Joannie Fleischer

Growing up in a Christian home with music-loving parents, I knew that I wanted to pursue music as my career. For a while, I was unsure of what that would look like in my future and experimented with many different genres of music. During my sophomore year of high school, I decided that I wanted to use my musical abilities to share God’s love with others. After talking to my parents and my youth pastor, I joined the youth group’s worship team at Grace Church in my hometown, Burleson, Texas. This was one of the most significant decisions in my life because one night at church as I was worshiping onstage, God revealed to me that leading worship is what He has called me to do for the rest of my life. This revelation from God led me to Baylor. After I visited Baylor’s campus once and discovered their church music program, I knew it was the college for me.

Through the church music program at Baylor, I have been offered many wonderful opportunities. From being able to meet and talk with Bill Gaither and David Crowder to being offered a pianist position at Calvary Baptist Church in Hamilton where I now spend my Sundays playing piano, the time I have spent here so far could not have been more impactful. As I go through my classes each day, my professors constantly encourage me in my musical studies. I am currently taking the class “Formation of Christian Musicians” and have found it extremely helpful in determining my call as a church musician and finding reassurance that I am on the right path for my life. I am also refining my craft through voice lessons with Dr. Deborah Williamson. She has been extremely supportive by helping me mature my voice while teaching me how to be comfortable with my current voice range and vocal capabilities.

Over the summer I had the opportunity to travel with Baylor’s church music program on a music mission trip to Malaysia. Through music workshops, we offered opportunities for music lessons to people who would normally not have the chance to learn such things. It was enlightening to bring music--something that everyone in every time zone and country in the world can relate to--to another country and get to connect with natives through that medium. At Baylor, I am also involved in both Women’s Choir and Concert Choir and have learned so much from being involved in these ensembles. Both Dr. Lynn Gackle and Dr. Stephen Gusukuma are talented musicians whose passion for music and God is evident in everything they do as they lead these ensembles. All in all, my time at Baylor has been beneficial in many ways. I am so excited to see what the rest of my time here holds for me and the blessings that God will continue to shower upon me through this school.