A lifetime dedicated to music education 

Like other South Dallas leaders, music educator Carolyn Donnell once walked the halls of the schools she later served, honoring African American music throughout her 48-year career in Dallas ISD. 

Donnell said her love for music always pushed her to strive to be the best even in her early years as a young musician. She has shared this passion with her students for the past seven years at Paul L. Dunbar Learning Center, where she teaches choral music and manages the Biller Kerl Roberts Choir, which combines students from both Dunbar and Charles Rice Learning Center. 

And now, her legacy will live on as one of the composers of a school song performed by Dunbar choral students amid recent celebrations of the B rating results across the Lincoln-Madison vertical team. The song is the voice of hope, unity and achievement in the schools and the community, where Donnell grew up. 

A graduate of Lincoln High School, Donnell began playing the piano at 8 years old, which set her on the path to becoming a multi-instrumentalist. 

“Growing up, my parents didn’t always have the money to pay for my lessons, but my first music teacher taught me anyway,” she said. “Now when I teach piano, I’m not doing it to become wealthy or to make extra money. I am giving back because my teacher gave back to me.”  

By the time she reached high school, Donnell was first-chair saxophonist in the concert band at Lincoln High School and later joined the jazz band. This experience propelled her to eventually learn the flute, clarinet, and xylophone.  

At just 13, Donnell became a church pianist at New Friendship Baptist Church, a role she still holds after 40 years. This experience earned her a scholarship to Texas Southern University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in music. Donnell is also one of the founding members of the university’s renowned Ocean of Soul marching band, which was formed with the appointment of a new band director during her time as a student. 

Between her years as a music teacher, Donnell also fulfilled her desire to teach math, receiving degrees in both math and science from The University of Texas at Dallas and Paul Quinn College. 

Donnell’s excellence in the classroom and dedication to Dallas ISD students has been recognized several times during her career. She was named Teacher of the Year at Umphrey Lee in 2001-2002 and was recognized again as the 2023-2024 Campus Teacher of the Year at Dunbar.  

Her influence as a music educator extends well beyond the classroom. In 2009, Donnell was inducted into the Dallas Metroplex Musician Association Hall of Fame, and in 2020 she was named Musician of the Year.  

Her commitment to the advancement and preservation of African American music can be seen through her membership with organizations such as Tau Beta Sigma Band Sorority, the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM), the National Convention of Gospel Choirs and Choruses, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has also been active in statewide groups such as the Texas Music Educators Association and Texas Choral Directors Association. 

Through these connections, Donnell has created opportunities for her students to perform and compete nationally. This July, they attended  the NAMN conference in Detroit, where the students performed in competitions and workshops. Last year, they attended the conference in Los Angeles.  

“I like to expose my students to different states and cultures,” she said. “One of my early teachers did that for me when I was growing up in South Dallas.” 

Each summer, she serves as Master Music Teacher for the Summer Arts Institute at the Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL). In partnership with Dallas ISD, this program trains students 10 to 18 years old in all aspects of performance, from costume design and stage management to music and acting, culminating in a final production. 

Through her decades of teaching, Donnell has helped develop the talents of many Dallas students who have gone on to professional opportunities and careers in music education.  

“I believe that we should be pouring money into the arts. This is how we can help students reach their fullest potential,” she said. “The arts is a place where you can be expressive and creative. It is an outlet and a universal language that must continue to be shared.”