Categories: School of Music and Fine Arts

HPU student to begin internship with Baptist World Alliance

BROWNWOOD – April 24, 2025 – The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is providing Howard Payne University student Maddie King, junior strategic communication and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major from Abilene, the opportunity to be their first communication intern. “We are pleased to have Maddie as our first intern with the Baptist World Alliance,” said […]

HPU Hosts the National Christian College Forensics Invitational

BROWNWOOD – March 24, 2025 – Howard Payne University Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team hosted the National Christian College Forensics Association (NCCFA) invitational on March 7-9. HPU first attended the tournament in 2005 and has every consecutive year since. The tournament included teams from 13 universities from across the U.S. Over 130 students […]

HPU speech and debate competes well at fall championship tournament

BROWNWOOD – November 15, 2024 – HPU’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team competed recently at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association Fall Championship tournament, held at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Freshman Rylie Burden, a jurisprudence and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major from Nederland, won second place in the International Public Debate Association […]

HPU speech and debate begins season with accolades

BROWNWOOD – October 9, 2024 – Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team competed at their season opener at the University of Texas at Dallas DFW Swing tournament on October 4-6. Freshman Rylie Burden, Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and social science jurisprudence major from Nederland, won the International Public Debate Association […]

HPU Alumna Abigail (Brown) Rainey ’20 to open solo art exhibition August 23

BROWNWOOD – August 22, 2024 – HPU alumna Abigail (Brown) Rainey ’20 will present her first solo art exhibition August 23-October 6 at HPU’s Dorothy and Wendell Mayes Art Gallery in the Doakie Day Art Center. The exhibition is titled (Un)common Grace: All That I Don’t Deserve. Viewers are invited to attend the exhibition’s reception […]

HPU welcomes 250 high school students to 50th Band Leadership Camp

BROWNWOOD – June 14, 2024 – Howard Payne University hosted 250 high school students from 36 high schools across the state at its 50th Band Leadership Camp, which took place this week. Led by Dr. Jonathan Kraemer, director of bands and assistant professor of music, the camp provided clinics for directors and leadership tracks for […]

Howard Payne University Pre-College Music students participate in Spring Festival

BROWNWOOD – May 29, 2024 – The Howard Payne University Pre-College Music program recently presented the Spring Festival, held in the Davidson Music Complex on the HPU campus. Thirty-one students participated. The following students earned the “Superior” rating in Piano Solo: Alecs Butka, Brooklyn Butka, Maddox Butka, Mason Danek, Abigail Dean, Abigail Dorman, Zakry Dorman, […]

HPU and area music groups to present American Music Spectacular on April 23

BROWNWOOD – April 19, 2024 – Howard Payne University’s Symphonic Band and Concert Choir will join forces with the Brownwood Community Chorus and the Central Texas Community Band to present the 28th Annual American Music Spectacular on Tuesday, April 23. The free event is open to the public and will be held at 7:30 p.m. […]

HPU Department of Theatre to present the play “Poor Clare” this weekend

BROWNWOOD – February 29, 2024 – Howard Payne University students will perform Poor Clare by Chiara Atik this Friday through Monday, March 1-4. This play will be their entrance in the Christian University Theatre Festival (CUTF), hosted by HPU’s Department of Theatre. The festival will be held March 4-5. All performances will take place at […]

HPU speech and debate clinches debate sweepstakes at TIFA: Chenault named to Texas All-State Forensics Squad

BROWNWOOD – February 22, 2024 – Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team clinched the debate sweepstakes at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) Spring Championship, held at Texas State University. Senior Landon Chenault, Guy D. Newman Honors Academy and jurisprudence major from Denton, won the IPDA (International Public Debate Association) championship […]

HPU’s Stephen Goacher to present concert this Thursday celebrating Black History Month

BROWNWOOD – February 12, 2024 – Stephen Goacher, professor of music at Howard Payne University, will present a Faculty Concert Celebrating Black History Month. The concert, featuring a variety of accomplished guest musicians, will be held on Thursday, February 15, at 7:00 p.m. in Mims Auditorium on the HPU campus. Admission to the concert is […]

HPU speech and debate team wins awards at three recent tournaments

BROWNWOOD – December 6, 2023 – Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team earned awards at three tournaments this semester. The team attended the Mendoza Debates in Baytown, the online Bowling Green University Cyber-Falcon and the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association fall championship in Tyler. At the Mendoza Debates in September, team captain […]

HPU music department hosts occupational therapy workshop

BROWNWOOD – November 9, 2023 – Students and faculty in Howard Payne University’s Department of Music recently attended a workshop presented by Jocelyn Seamans, registered occupational therapist from Hendrick Outpatient Rehabilitation in Brownwood. The event was held at HPU’s Grace Chapel. The presentation focused on preventing neuromusculoskeletal injuries associated with music learning and teaching. Participants […]

HPU awards music scholarships to 21 students

BROWNWOOD – September 29, 2023 – Howard Payne University’s School of Music and Fine Arts recently named 21 students as recipients of music scholarships for the 2023-2024 academic year. Students are eligible for three levels of scholarship support to further their educations: named scholarships, scholarships for those who are majors or minors in music and […]

HPU names Dr. Jonathan Kraemer to director of bands position

BROWNWOOD – June 23, 2023 – Howard Payne University has recently announced Dr. Jonathan Kraemer will serve as director of bands. His 15 years of experience includes directing bands in Texas public schools, instructing in HPU’s summer Band Leadership Camp and teaching private music lessons. He most recently served as director of bands at Abilene […]

HPU speech and debate students earn awards, champion titles at national tournaments

BROWNWOOD – April 27, 2023 – Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team recently earned top honors at two national tournaments. The team attended the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) national tournament at Boise State University, followed by the National Christian College Forensics Association (NCCFA) national tournament at Northwest Nazarene University, in […]

HPU Pre-College Music students recognized at UIL Regional Contest

BROWNWOOD – April 24, 2023 – Andrew Boren, Alecs Butka and Matthew Till, students in Howard Payne University’s Pre-College Music program, successfully competed at the University Interscholastic League (UIL) Regional Contest in February. All three students earned First Division Superior ratings in their categories. Each competed in the Piano Solo Event, while Boren also participated […]

HPU speech and debate clinches debate sweepstakes at TIFA; two students named to Texas All State Forensics Squad

BROWNWOOD – February 16, 2023 – Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team clinched the debate sweepstakes at the recent Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) Championship and won third place overall sweepstakes. Competing against much larger Division I and Division II schools, HPU students claimed top honors in both National Parliamentary Debate […]

Central Texas Community Band to begin spring rehearsals at HPU

BROWNWOOD – January 19, 2023 – The Central Texas Community Band will begin its spring rehearsals on Monday, January 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Davidson Music Complex’s Band Rehearsal Hall on the campus of Howard Payne University. Frank Nelson, director of bands and assistant professor of music at HPU, will direct the ensemble along […]

Heart of Texas New Horizons Band, hosted by HPU, offers class for beginners

BROWNWOOD – January 5, 2023 – A new class for beginning musicians will be held this spring by the Heart of Texas New Horizons Band (HOTNHB), offered by Howard Payne University’s School of Music and Fine Arts. Participation in the popular program, now entering its third year, is open to senior adults, and no previous […]

HPU’s speech and debate team competes in first tournament of 2022-2023 season

BROWNWOOD – December 5, 2022 – Howard Payne University’s speech and debate team, Student Speaker Bureau, competed at its first tournament of the 2022-2023 season in October. Junior Landon Chenault, social science jurisprudence and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major from Denton, won the varsity division of individual International Public Debate Association (IPDA) debate. The […]