South Carolina Trip Group Photo
Stories, Students

Learning about the Civil War and Civil Rights in South Carolina: Student Reflections

  • March 30, 2021
  • Written by Kirsten McKimmey

This year, DBU introduced a new travel study trip to South Carolina. The trip, envisioned and led by Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Jay Harley, focused on South Carolina's role in both the Civil War and the Civil Rights Era.

Behold the Triumphant Christ. The background shows the back of the DBU Chapel on a sunny day.
Faith, Stories

Anticipating Christ’s Second Triumphal Entry by Recalling His First

  • March 26, 2021
  • Written by Bailey Pylant

Twenty-first century Christians often can’t take in the incredible impact of Christ’s triumphal entry on Palm Sunday, but when we reflect on its place within the larger story of God’s redemption, we stand in awe and anticipation of how God moves and crafts His grand narrative.

“My role is to challenge students to continue to strive for excellence in their craft by teaching them skills, by instilling in them high artistic standards, and encouraging them to grow in self-confidence in their craft and for their lives.” Dr. Uriah Rinzel serves as an assistant professor of music theory, composition, and songwriting in DBU’s College of Fine Arts. Dr. Rinzel leads and instructs his students with the utmost zeal, viewing music as “a powerful means of spreading the Gospel.” Dr. Rinzel passes this passion down to those he teaches in hopes that one day, they too may use their talents to make the Lord known. When Dr. Rinzel was sixteen, his father bought him his first electric guitar. Naturally, Dr. Rinzel immediately started a rock band with his school friends and also began playing for his church. He says “carrying my violin or guitar on the bus was a natural conversation starter.” When asked by his bus driver what he’d like to do as a career, Dr. Rinzel confidently responded “I want to be a musician.” Dr. Rinzel’s passion would contain an immense amount of hard work and a strong dose of luck- he says “I knew this from my dad’s experience playing in several rock and fusion bands in the 70’s.” Determined to make his dreams a reality, Dr. Rinzel worked throughout his high school years to learn as much as he could about scales, chords, improvisation, patch-work, and songwriting. He recalls that when he received his first acoustic guitar, he “couldn’t put it down.” Dr. Rinzel had found his calling and it was not something he took lightly. After high school, Dr. Rinzel began his personal journey of pursuing an extensive music education. He received an Advanced Diploma in Worship and Technical Arts from the Christ for the Nations Institute. While at CFNI, Dr. Rinzel joined the praise band led by Klaus Keuhn. Here he quickly learned how to memorize diverse set lists of worship and gospel songs and developed his improvisation skills even deeper. This is also when Dr. Rinzel really began writing, recording, and producing music. He started his time at DBU as an undergrad and received his Bachelor of Music in Theory and Composition in 2012 with hopes of one day teaching collegiate musicians. Following this, Dr. Rinzel attended Southwestern Methodist University where he obtained both his Master of Music in Composition and his Master of Music in Theory Pedagogy. Finally, Dr. Rinzel has recently received his Doctorate in Musical Arts in Composition from Texas Christian University in 2019. Currently, Dr. Rinzel teaches courses mainly in music theory, but also instructs in the areas of applied composition and music business. When Dr. Rinzel was first brought on board at DBU as an adjunct professor, he taught Advanced Songwriting Techniques, an upper level music business course. He says “my favorite part (of his job) is seeing how proud students are at the end of the course when they realize how much work they have accomplished and the skills that they developed.” Dr. Rinzel takes his position at DBU very seriously. He shares his strategy through the courses he teaches is to “equip each student with a modern take on comprehensive musicianship including engagement with the main streams of music study: classical, jazz, and pop; and relating them to the technical side as well: acoustics, signal processing, and digital audio.” He goes on to say “my role as instructor in Christian higher education is to model, challenge, and mentor. My role is to model excellence in artistry, a professional output that engages culture, and character befitting a Christian leader.” He expresses that, though he loves teaching in class, the most fulfilling part of his role takes place during lessons and his office hours. “Being able to encourage, challenge, and help students find their way is a large part of why teaching at DBU isn’t just a job for me, it’s a vocation.” Outside of the classroom, Dr. Rinzel is hard at work creating unique and exciting music of his own. From his oratorio “Revealed: Visions of Jesus in the End Times” which includes post-tonal methods paired with math metal to his Requiem Mass “Grant Us Rest” containing blends of medieval sacred sounds with folk and minimalism to his rock and pop songs, Dr. Rinzel’s music covers a variety of different styles, genres, and instrumentation. All of Dr. Rinzel’s music, though, is bonded by one main goal: “to engage the relationship between my classical background and training with rock and pop music.” Dr. Rinzel met his wife, Abby, at Gateway Church where he served in the worship department from 2008-2018. They were married at Hunter’s Glen Baptist Church in Plano in 2015. Together, the Rinzel family has one son, Michael, who is nearly 2 years old. The family now partners with Venture Church in Keller. DBU is grateful for dedicated teachers like Dr. Rinzel whose goal is to provide students with both a Christian education and the tools needed to succeed in their careers. Dr. Rinzel’s personal aim as a professor is one that spreads across DBU’s campus: “to encourage students in their individual strengths, providing timely advice for their career and vocational goals, artistic opportunities, and life beyond higher education.”
Athletics, Faculty Staff, Stories

Alumnus Returns to DBU as Music Professor: Dr. Uriah Rinzel

  • March 5, 2021
  • Written by Emmalie Ellis

Dr. Uriah Rinzel recently joined the full-time faculty as Assistant Professor of music theory, composition, and songwriting in the College of Fine Arts.

DBU Education Alumna Joy Johnson Serving in Burundi
Alumni, Global Impact, Stories

DBU Education Alumna Joy Johnson Serves Next Generation in Burundi

  • March 5, 2021
  • Written by Emmalie Ellis

In the fall of 2008, DBU alumna Joy Johnson, alongside her husband Jesse, opened the doors of Discovery School, a private Christian preschool, primary, and secondary school in Burundi, Africa.

Chandler Jacobs
Athletics, Stories, Students

LSC Defensive Player of the Year - Chandler Jacobs

  • March 5, 2021
  • Written by Jay Attal

Chandler Jacobs became the first player in DBU history to garner USBWA National Player of the Week honors. Seven days later, he became the first to do it twice.

Transfer Honor Roll
Academics, University News

DBU Recognized as Member of 2021 Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll

  • March 1, 2021
  • Written by Emmalie Ellis

Dallas Baptist University has been recognized as one of 150 colleges to receive membership on Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s (PTK) Transfer Honor Roll for 2021.

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