Taylor McNamara
Hometown: Chambersburg, PA
B.A. in Theater Performance and B.M. in Vocal Performance
2027
How did you first get interested in theatre and music?
I remember begging my mom in elementary school to let me take guitar lessons. I’m grateful to say that a few weeks later I had my first music lesson with Mr. Bob, who I am still convinced is the sweetest man on earth. A month or two passed and he urged me to sing and play guitar in my school’s talent show. I think that was the first time that I felt the hurricane of emotions that come with performance and that’s what really sparked my love for it.
After he passed away a few months later, I practiced and explored different instruments and worked in a crew for theater for years. I didn’t touch solo performance again; the pressure and the fear of auditioning and solo performance felt impossible to beat. But, my senior year rushed around the corner and I had no idea what I wanted to pursue as a career. So, performance creeped back into the frame of possibilities and I decided to run with it, and I still am! I am trying to go as far as I can and see where it takes me and I’m falling in love with the depth and varieties of performance the longer I study it. It’s like a tasteful rabbit hole.
What kind of career do you hope to have?
The dream would be to perform live in a way that urges people to think. I would be incredibly blessed to have a career that pushes me to constantly learn, and one that keeps me on my toes.
What is your favorite thing about The College of Arts + Architecture?
I could go on about the support and encouragement from the lovely community that is the CoA+A. My favorite part of the day is walking into Robinson and getting to greet the loveliest people. There are truly countless professors and peers who are genuine and will support you in whatever you choose to pursue, as long as you are willing to take that first step. They will support you as long as you let them. I can never express how grateful I am to have received just that after running head first into classical performance this past semester. It really does feel like home.
Do you participate in any community activities or work in the Charlotte arts community?
Currently, I am working with a group called Ed’s Dinosaurs Live, which is a puppet theater that travels both locally and nationally. They take on a variety of gigs, such as going to libraries to inspire children to read, attending festivals, or keeping the energy high at baseball games. I am genuinely excited to get to work with them more over the course of the summer. On top of this, I have recently started singing with a choir at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, and I cannot get enough of the lovely community that is there as well and I am truly looking forward to continuing my journey with them.
When you are not in class, studying, or working, what do you like to do for fun?
I absolutely adore live music or last minute trips. I could thrift for ages, and I absolutely love going to cafes with a book.