Beyond the music

When Connor May ’16 composed the music for UofL’s Here & Beyond brand campaign in 2021, he didn’t yet see himself as a composer. He was a trumpet player who spent his time logging countless recording sessions, touring and building a career through performance. But the opportunity to create his original piece, showcased in UofL’s Here and Beyond commercial, shifted how May saw himself and what his future in music could look like.

“I can’t even begin to explain how grateful I am for the opportunity the university gave me to compose that music and work with them,” May said. “That experience helped me gain confidence and belief in myself as more than a trumpet player, but a composer too. The lesson was to go in, give it your best, be true to yourself and everything else figures itself out.”

Since the Here and Beyond campaign launched, the School of Music alum’s professional life has expanded in ways that reflect that lesson. May has appeared on multiple albums, played countless shows and deepened his studio work, often contributing creatively without ever picking up his trumpet. “I’ve been in sessions where I don’t play a single note but still contribute as a musician, and that feels great,” he said. “Music is deeper than just playing your instrument.”

That lesson is something May learned firsthand while working with UofL’s student performers during the Here and Beyond recording session. 

“They were nervous, and I realized how intimidating the studio can be,” May said. “I told them not to worry about mistakes and to just express themselves. Technology can clean things up, but expression and personality are what matter.”

That lesson stuck, and it helped shape his approach to music, career decisions and even life outside the studio. “Sometimes the take that’s less perfect technically has the most life,” he said. “That applies to music, career choices and life.”

May followed his own advice from 2021 and didn’t let his dreams of touring hinder him from growing and opening himself up to new opportunities and goals. May married his wife in October 2025, adopted a puppy and bought a home, complete with a home studio. 

“I got to a place where I was tired of living out of a suitcase and wanted stability,” May said. “You never know where music will take you if you stay with it. You accomplish goals, then ask, ‘now what?’ and find another path that’s just as fulfilling.”  

While he may not be touring anymore, May continues to travel to music hubs like Los Angeles and Nashville each year, collaborating with artists and helping launch careers of up-and-coming performers like Kid Quill and Robin Raps, who have since moved to LA to continue growing in the music industry. 

“I’m starting to feel like I’m an artist startup machine,” May joked. 

Indianapolis remains his home base, where he balances freelance music with a day job at Paige’s Music, a local store that supports young musicians, something that helps him achieve his goal of teaching music and becoming a mentor similar to his own when he was a kid. 

“We supply band and orchestra instruments to students and provide opportunities like masterclasses to teach kids to play,” May said. “It’s fulfilling in that way, and I still get to scratch the itch of being a musician in different avenues. I’ve carved this path as a musician that, if you asked 2016 me who was finishing my graduate degree, there’s no way I would’ve said this is where I’d be.” 

Now more confident and more grounded in his life, May feels excited to have found his sweet spot, both professionally and personally. 

“I’ve figured out what I want out of life, and it’s really nice to be present and grounded,” May said.

“The calling to do more full-time music is still there, but some days, firing up the grill with loved ones feels just as fulfilling as playing in front of 5,000 people.”