Myra Brooks Turner (13 January 1936 – 7 October 2017) was an American composer, music educator, and writer, who composed for television commercials as well as for musical theatre, piano, and voice. Brooks was born in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

, Tennessee, to Paul D. and Lillie R. Brooks. She began music lessons at the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named afte ...

when she was 12, then earned bachelor's and master's degrees in music from the

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

in Dallas, Texas. Her post graduate study in piano was with Paul Vellucci in Dallas. She married Ronald Joseph Turner in 1960 and they had three daughters: Stacy, Cheryl, and Teresa. Brooks taught music at

Mercer University Mercer University is a Private university, private Research university, research university in Macon, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1833 as Mercer Institute and gaining university status in 1837, it is the oldest private university in the s ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

, at the Maryville (Tennessee) College of Performing Arts, and at the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

in Knoxville. She managed two businesses: MBT Productions and the Myra Brooks Turner Studio of Music in Knoxville, as well as two performance groups associated with her teaching studio: the Beethoven Society and the Chopin Society. Through these societies, she produced seven concerts annually. Over the years, Brooks directed several church choirs. She served as composer-in-residence for the Birmingham (Alabama) Children's Theatre from 1967 to 1969, wrote TV commercials, and directed recording sessions. She was president of the Camelot Fine Arts Club, and received the Award of Merit from the Tennessee Arts Commission as "an outstanding member of the cultural force of the state of Tennessee who has helped to nurture and develop the arts in Tennessee." Fluent in French, Brooks published a textbook, ''Les Gens, Les Endroits et Les Choses (People, Places and Things''). For several years, her column “Composer’s Corner” appeared in the ''National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Keynotes Magazine'' with her original compositions. She wrote articles about musical research and "Pupil Saver" columns for ''Clavier Magazine'', and edited the ''Texas Federation of Music Clubs Bulletin''. Brooks composed many piano and vocal works, encompassing at least 72 opus numbers. Her music is published by FJH Music Co. Inc., McLaughlin & Reilly Co., and Schaum Publications Inc. Her compositions include:

Piano

*''Fantasy in a minor'' *''Jazz Man Suite'' *''Man Speaks Through Music'' *''Musical Moods'' *''Praise the Lord Jesus Christ'' *''Waltzing Windmills'' *''Waltz Parisienne''

Musical Theatre

*''Cinderella'' *''Flibberty-Gibbet'' *''Green Dragon'' *''Javoho Junction'' *''Make Way for Love'' *''Midsummer Night's Dream'' *''Pinocchio''

Vocal

*''Contemporary Art Song Suite'' (text by

William Blake William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker. Largely unrecognised during his life, Blake has become a seminal figure in the history of the Romantic poetry, poetry and visual art of the Roma ...

) *''Suddenly, My Heart Sings'' (art songs)
Hear Waltzing Windmills by Myra Brooks Turner

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks Turner, Myra American women composers 1936 births 2017 deaths American music educators Southern Methodist University alumni Mercer University faculty University of Tennessee faculty 21st-century American women Musicians from Knoxville, Tennessee Maryville College