About Carlie
An experienced composer and lyricist, Carlie Burdett built an extensive portfolio of music for piano, vocal solo, choir, and orchestral instruments. Her expressive, lyrical style, which incorporates elements from classical, contemporary, and jazz traditions, has earned multiple performances and awards.
Carlie’s Christian faith was central to her life and fueled her creative energy. She offered her music here as a celebration of life as well as an encouragement to those who are dealing with its problems and stresses.
In fact, Carlie wrote from a heart that was overflowing with grateful praise. Music, a life-long passion, was a language through which she shared her faith as well as her compassion for others. She greatly enjoyed the creative process of composing music, writing her own original lyrics, and setting poetry or scripture to music. When setting existing words, her goal was always to bring those words to a higher level of understanding or expression. She composed flowing melodies with harmonies designed to make her music sing-able, playable, enjoyable and memorable.
A native Texan, Carlie was blessed with a loving husband, children and grandchildren whom she cherished. She found fulfillment in being a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, church and choir member, board member, volunteer, and life-long learner.
Beginning college as a math major at Abilene Christian, she took a music theory class “just for fun” – and the light came on! The next year, when she transferred to The University of Texas at Austin, she became a Music Major. At UT, she studied piano, music theory, and composition, and dated a young law student. Through UT’s Piano Pedagogy Program, Carlie learned the skills that would enable her to teach numerous piano and music theory students over many years in her successful home studio. After marrying the love of her life, she and her husband made their home in the Texas Panhandle, where he practiced law and Carlie taught piano. They were blessed with three children. When the youngest began school, Carlie returned to college, this time at WTAMU, where she completed her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Theory/Composition, with honors.
In addition to teaching, Carlie’s musical experience has included piano and vocal performance, accompanying, directing, and singing in church, college and community choirs. Carlie has been a performing member and officer of Federated Music Clubs in the cities where they have lived, as well as of Texas Federation of Music Clubs and the National Federation of Music Clubs.
Carlie passed away surrounded by her music and her family on August 1st, 2019, in Temple, Texas. (See related post)
More information about Carlie is available in these magazine articles:
- Georgetown View Article from October 2016
- Georgetown View Article from September 2011
- Influential Magazine Article from April 28, 2016