Making Music

Hillary (Kaefring) Wehr ’16 took her Mount Mercy University education and her love for music and teaching and turned it into a business. Now she spends her days teaching one-on-one voice lessons.

One night as Hillary sang, the stars twinkled above her. In front of her there was a sea of cell phones lighting up the historic Brucemore lawn. Hillary was singing in the choir, making music with Orchestra Iowa at Brucemorechestra.

This beautiful night—along with many other opportunities—were made possible by Hillary’s participation in the music department at Mount Mercy.

“I love how involved the music department was, and continues to be, with the community,” shared Hillary. “These experiences definitely shaped my future.”

"I love how involved the music department was, and continues to be, with the community." 
– Hillary Wehr '16 Music, International Studies

There were a lot of factors in Hillary’s decision to attend Mount Mercy. She got an inside view of college life on the Hill thanks to her older brother, Adam Kaefring ’12, who attended Mount Mercy. She enjoyed the atmosphere of campus and felt Mount Mercy would fulfill her spiritual needs.

“My faith is really important to me, and as one of Iowa’s few Catholic universities, I knew I’d be in a place that would allow me to frequent the sacraments with regularity,” said Hillary.

When Hillary stepped on campus as an official Mustang, she wasn’t sure what she would major in, but knew she’d be involved in music.

“One of the things that I loved about the music department is that I would be highly involved in it without necessarily having to be a music major,” Hillary shared.

Hillary made friends across campus—from nursing majors to business majors—all through her involvement in the music department.

“I’m a firm believer that music is for everyone, and to see that inclusiveness within the department really stood out to me,” said Hillary.

Hillary initially majored in education, but she decided to switch to music after discovering that teaching in a classroom environment didn’t suit her.

She continued to be involved in the music department as well as other activities across campus. Some of her favorite campus activities outside of music included drama and campus ministry.

Hillary’s music education ended up being the foundation of her career post-graduation.

“I was thinking that I would like to have a job in music administration,” Hillary shared, “but after graduating and starting my own studio, I discerned that I still wanted to teach—only one-on-one.”

Hillary’s business, Wehr Making Music, provides private voice lessons and audition coaching for people in the greater Des Moines area and virtually around the globe. The range of genres she explored at Mount Mercy was especially helpful in her teaching.

“Permitting my voice students to sing what interests them not only keeps them more engaged, but also allows us to work together to help them create sounds that are sustainable,” said Hillary.

Hillary learned a lot about music at Mount Mercy, but she also learned valuable skills for her future as a small business owner.

“Because it’s a liberal arts college and requires classes in different core competencies, I was prepared to take on different aspects of operating a small business such as maintaining a website and bookkeeping,” shared Hillary.

Mount Mercy also prepared Hillary for graduate school, which she began in 2018. She looked for schools that, like Mount Mercy, would allow her to continue her music education in a variety of genres. She found that at Shenandoah Conservatory where she received her Master of Music in Voice Pedagogy.

“When I was attending graduate school, I was thankful for the other areas of music that I was involved in at Mount Mercy, such as piano lessons and band,” shared Hillary. “Having a background in those instruments has been a fantastic tool to have in my toolbelt.”

Hillary’s time on the Hill impacted many areas of her life. Her involvement in campus ministry showed her the joy in giving back. Now, in addition to her private lessons, Hillary serves as Assistant Director for the Central Iowa Catholic Youth Choir. Once a week she works with over 70 students in three different choirs.

No matter how much time passes, Hillary carries her connection to Mount Mercy with her. Whether it’s reminiscing with friends, returning to sing at the convent, or attending mass when in the area, Hillary is never too far from the Hill.