Coming out of Dowagiac Union High School in 1996 with the John Philip Sousa Award, music was “sort of the obvious path” for percussionist Carolyn Lyons Murray.

She received a music scholarship and began studying music education at Southwestern Michigan College, where she still performs in the theatre of the building named for her grandfather, Dale, longtime Board of Trustees vice chairman.

The Sister Lakes accountant, 46, has traveled as far on a music pathway than if she actually pursued a music career.

“I don't think going to SMC was a given, but it definitely was the path that made the most sense for me,” Murray said. “I had been playing in ensembles at SMC since 10th grade.  It was affordable and close to home. With my experience assisting at local band camps I quickly realized teaching was not my strong suit.

“Performance seemed like a very uncertain future and although I enjoyed my music classes — theory, ear training, all of it! —I knew that immersing myself in a four-year music performance path was going to take the enjoyment out of music for me pretty quickly. I love music being my fun hobby/side-gig.

“I have been able to continue to play music my entire life,” she said. “I met my husband through music (Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp).  I continue to stay connected to SMC through the Brass Band as well as subbing with other groups. I don't know that all of that would have happened had I actually pursued a music career.”

‘Accounting really resonated with me’

After transitioning away from music, Murray started focusing on general business classes. Accounting “really resonated with me. I think there are some very specific correlations between being a musician — percussion especially — and numbers. Everything balances. I was able to take advantage of the Ferris at SMC program and get my Bachelor's in Accounting from Ferris without ever leaving the SMC campus.”

Murray this fall marked 10 years at Brammall Industrial Supply, which moved from 147 years in Benton Harbor to St. Joseph in 2020.

She is the financial controller for Brammall and also its sister company, Nemic Industrial Supply, Grand Rapids.

“Although we can ship anywhere in the U.S., the majority of our sales are regional (southwest Michigan up to Kalamazoo and Holland and a bit of northern Indiana). We specialize in personalized service including local delivery so you may see a Brammall Industrial Supply van tooling around now and then. 

“Like most folks, I didn't have a clear vision of my path when I was in college.  I knew I didn't want to do tax accounting. I was definitely drawn to accounting for manufacturing. I am fascinated by production facilities.  I'm amazed that people make things and I like being part of that process. I am fortunate that I love what I do and have loved what I do for a long time. It was definitely the right path for me.”

Her first job was with the family meat market

Her family, parents Larry and Annette and brother Craig, all worked at Olde Town Meat Market, now part of the Cass County COA Front Street Crossing near City Hall.

“I think it was easier for our parents to teach us kids how to do one thing and let that be our main job, so I became the one who broke down chickens. My brother made sausage. I later bussed tables at Round Oak for quite a few years. I then worked at McCanse Chiropractic for a number of years, moving from chiropractic assistant to insurance billing to office manager. I learned a lot about being an employee from working there — skills that continue to serve me very well to this day.”

Once she graduated with her accounting degree, Murray “found myself in that very precarious position of having a four-year degree but no experience. I began applying for accounting jobs but most either wanted someone with a degree and experience or were very entry-level not requiring any degree. 

“I didn't have a problem with the entry-level positions, but I think they overlooked my resume because of the degree thinking that I would require a higher pay-rate. 

“I finally found a position at Pinnacle Building Systems, a modular home company in Bristol, Ind., doing accounts payable data entry. It was a small company and the CFO was willing to take a chance on me, giving me a starting position with the possibility of taking on additional responsibilities as time went on. 

“I flourished in this position,” Murray said. “Soon I was doing payables, receivables and warranty work. When the controller retired I moved into that position. At the downturn of the housing market the company closed. I was the last employee on the books, staying with them through the final auction of remaining assets.”

The owner of Pinnacle Building Systems also happened to own an ambulance company in Elkhart.  So upon Pinnacle closing, Murray began working for SJC Industries, manufacturer of Marque and McCoy Miller ambulances. 

She moved into chassis purchasing, the only position open in the company at that time. 

“Did I know anything about purchasing or chassis? Absolutely not!  But it was fun to learn,” she said. “Later I moved into a cost accounting position where I was able to work out in the plant, recording and costing all of the materials going into our products. This was an awesome job. There are so many amazingly smart folks working in production factories doing very skilled and intricate things. Blows my mind!”

After a number of years working with this company, the business was sold and production moved to Florida. 

“I again was in the last of the people remaining at the Indiana location, helping to run a repair and remount division serving local customers until they transitioned all services to Florida. So then I was on the job hunt! I worked with a professional placement agency which referred me to Brammall Industrial Supply. I was very excited to work for a family-owned business with such an amazing history in the community. Plus, it was much closer to home. I transitioned into a position made available as the former controller, who had worked at the company for 30 years, was retiring. All of my prior jobs led me here.  Although it is not manufacturing — we are a distribution warehouse — it is the perfect fit. 

“We serve the manufacturing community and I feel that I have a lot to offer in this position. I've been an integral part of this company's management team through many changes including the sale of the business to another family out of Grand Rapids. I am so thankful that they trust me to grow in their business with them.

Like father, like daughter

Murray credits her father, who ended his outdoor columns with “carpe diem” (seize the day), for her wide range of interests, from raising goats to roller derby.

“He was one to follow his heart when pursuing new careers, hobbies and experiences,” she said. Ryan, her former police officer husband of 24 years, “is also a man of many interests, so we’ve always been very supportive of just going for it! Nothing is forever, so why miss out on trying something you want to do?”

“We did meet through music,” she said. “And we both still play,” Ryan on trombone.

“He has become very involved in Beckwith Theatre as actor, director, leader of their improv group and director of their summer youth camp” with SMC’s Educational Talent Search.

“I have done a little bit of acting on stage,” Murray said, “but it’s not really my thing. I do really enjoy playing in musical pit orchestras, though, and have been doing quite a bit more of that the past few years. I had a lot of fun playing in the pit orchestra for the DUHS musical he directed in the spring. It's the first time we've gotten to work together in that way.”

Hosting foreign exchange students

The Murrays have had two foreign exchange students live with them, one from Germany and one from Japan.

“That was pretty much Ryan’s idea,” Murray said. “He was good friends with an exchange student when he was in high school and it's always been something he wanted to do. We never had children of our own, but he has always been great with kids of all ages. He was a camp counselor, he runs youth theater programs, he helps with local high school band camps. At the time, he was working as the school resource officer, so it was logistically easy for us to get a high school student to and fro every day. 

“Both of the students we had were great kids and we have wonderful relationships with them to this day. They have been back to visit and we have been to visit them multiple times. We especially love visiting Japan. We have been a few times and are heading back again next year.”

Her musical path intersects with Mom

She’s played snare drum with bagpipe bands and all manner of percussion, including timpani, marimbas, xylophone and bells.

Murray performs regularly with the SMC Brass Band, occasionally subs with the St. Joseph Municipal Band and plays for various musical theatre performances at the Ghostlight Theatre, Benton Harbor.

“I sub occasionally with the SMC Symphonic Band, where my mom plays clarinet,” she said. “She’s a two-time SMC alum. She went to SMC after high school and met my dad. Then we both attended SMC simultaneously while I was getting my accounting degree and she pursued her nursing degree. We actually graduated at the same time. I don't remember when she started playing her clarinet again, but she really enjoys playing in the Symphonic Band. It’s always fun when we get to play concerts together.”

Through high school she was definitely a concert percussionist who did not play drum set.

I just never had the experience doing it and there were always those kids who grew up messing around on drum sets and were so much more comfortable with it,” Murray said. “I played a tiny bit in college when forced. But in the last few years I have started playing quite a bit more drum set and am really coming to enjoy it. I'm learning I'm not so bad at it after all! It just takes some practice.”

Someday she might sing again

As a Roadrunner, Murray played in all of SMC’s instrumental groups, Symphonic Band, Brass Band and Jazz Ensemble. She sang with the Concert Choir and Show Choir.

“I have decent pitch,” she said. “Probably all those years tuning timpani. But I’ve never really trained my voice to sing. Someday I might like to do that.”

She knows new Dowagiac Band Director Benny Van Roekel, Paw Paw tenor saxophonist, from playing with him at SMC multiple times.

“He seems to be a really great guy and a really great musician. I'm very excited for him and for the students at Dowagiac who get to work with him.”

“My favorite memories of SMC are actually from before I was an official SMC student,” Murray said. “I was in high school, searching out additional playing opportunities. (Band Director) Dr.(Jon) Korzun took me under his wing and I started playing in the bands. There was a special group of vocal and instrumental folks at SMC at that time. A pretty large group of really talented people worked under (Choir Director) Dr. (William) Skoog and Dr. Korzun.

“They all just allowed me to be a part of it which made me feel so amazing at the time. The confidence boost was out of this world! And I'm still friends with some of them to this day.”