Brian Urso Obituary, Death – On December 28, Brian Urso was in a serious car accident and sustained catastrophic injuries. He passed away peacefully on January 3 surrounded by his loving family. We would like to bless the Urso family financially as they navigate this difficult time. Please prayerfully consider donating to this wonderful family to ease their financial burden. It has been made known to the general public that Charlee Tulk has passed away. According to the statement that can be found below, we found out about the passing of the person through a social media page.
It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Mr. Brian Urso, husband of our beloved music teacher. Mr. Urso was a music teacher at Bishop Snyder High School. You have probably seen him helping Mrs. Urso at one of the many music productions or events here at PCA. He was a quiet, kind and very talented man that shared his love of music with his students and will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. Please continue to pray for strength for the Urso family to help them get through this unexpected tragedy. We will forward additional details on how to help the Urso family as we get them.
On my very last day of high school, a really special high school experience that was uniquely pivotal for me as most know, our music teacher called us in after school. Unsure of what to expect, we headed over to the music room, and he greeted us there, at a table. He then said that he knew it was our last day on campus (as current students, anyway), but it was a lot more sentimental for him than he’d expected, as we were his first group there and he felt really close to us. He told us he was proud of us, he loved us, to go off and do big things, and to never be a stranger. Then, he did two things that have always stuck with me since, and I will never forget, because it meant the absolute world to me. He teared up, and he produced this cake. The cake reads: “Thank you Chorus & Band for 4 wonderful years”.
That moment meant the world to me because while everyone has had special instrumental mentors that made them feel seen, heard, and valuable, and sometimes we even get to go do the big things they wanted for us and then come back and share them with our mentors, as well as how much their mentorship meant to us and helped us get there, I got to see in that moment of humanity and sincerity that not only did Mr. Urso mean the world to me and my peers, but we also meant the world to him, and he cared about us just as much as we did about him. As an artist, especially a serious one, we receive acknowledgments almost every time we do something.
We’ll always get applause, maybe even cheers, and a good job or a yay you, if you have a good audience and you do your job well. You do something, they enjoy themselves, and then they go about their lives, and often times those comments will feel like a participation trophy or certificate. However, being in high school, as an artist who was preparing to go off into the world and do that, and spent some of every day of high school with a REAL virtuoso that not only shared his talent, skill, knowledge, and understanding of the performing arts, but one of the biggest, kindest, most gentle and sincere hearts that anyone could imagine, and for me something that I think my alma mater said best, a TRUE servant, in every sense of the word, and then having said person tell YOU that they see that in you, you can be that or whatever you want to be, and you have worth beyond compare and artistry beyond limitation? These are the conversations that legitimately alter lives.
I left Bishop Snyder that day, eternally grateful for all that my beloved high school, but especially Mr. Urso gave me, and motivated to conquer the next chapter of my life with my head held high and a smile on my face because I knew I could. I then went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree, earn a Graduate Artist Diploma in Voice, join the American Choral Directors Association, become the music director at St. Margaret of Scotland Catholic Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, teach private lessons, perform musical theatre and opera professionally, both onstage AND in the pit, and even take on a little in Phi Mu Alpha in college who was another phenomenal trumpet player. I am proudly a servant of my art. It’s my life, my passion, my hobby, my career, and my vocation. I’m so blessed with the gift of music and theatre, and I approach every time anyone hears me with my entire self because that’s what it deserves and that’s how it both stays alive and reaches people on a level deeper than a smile and a fun night.
It’s my world, and I owe it to him. Not just because of all that he taught me as a music teacher, or the one of a kind opportunities that I was afforded from being his student, but because he taught me servitude. Servitude to my art, to my family, to my friends, to my church, and to my community. The fulfillment I have received from giving my all, in collaboration with brilliant performers, under the guidance of some of the greatest educators the world has ever seen, with a spirit of service, has given me the richest, fullest life I could ever dream of. I know for certain, as many posts have said, that I’m not alone in saying that I would not be who or where I am without Mr. Brian Urso, but I take so much solace in knowing that my story is not unique.
I’m one of countless lives that were deeply enriched by Mr. Urso, and the outpouring of love, support, respect, admiration, and deep hurt that I’ve seen for him, his wife, his children, and the rest of his family and friends, ESPECIALLY by my own Sacred Heart and Snyder communities, has been incredibly moving to me, as it shows that I’m surrounded by a lot of really amazing hearts who cared a lot about my mentor, and they’re going to do everything to celebrate him, all that he was and all that he gave, and keep his memory alive forever.
With a heart that is completely crushed but filled with gratitude,
Mr. Brian Urso, I love you dearly, you have impacted me profoundly, I carry you with me, I will miss you terribly, and from depths of my soul, THANK *YOU*. However, while this is about Mr. Urso, I want to take this moment to also make sure that I acknowledge the other people who helped me get to where I am. I can’t tell Mr. Urso, and that breaks my heart, but I can tell you. Ms. Haney (I’m so sorry I don’t remember her first name! I was in elementary, so I didn’t know it!), Joan Cordell, Jacob Leporacci, Dr. Sandra Roberts, Lisa Weindorf, Lisa Pasicolan, Kathy Lynch Gillespie, Lisa Moser, Dr. Bernie Sans, Shannon McKay, Edit Palmer, Dr. Pete Smucker, Dr. Michael Rickman, Dr. Lonnie Hevia,
Dr. Jamison Walker, Jane Fowler Christeson, Dr. Craig Wood Maddox, Anthony Hose, Russell Franks, Dr. Timothy Peter, Dr. Sandra Peter, Dr. Andrew Larson, Dr. Greg LeFils Jr, Dr. Boyd Jones, Daniel Belcher, Kathleen Belcher, Dr. Chris McCoy, Mark Ferrell, Ellen Sommer, Nedra Dixon, Kenny Personett, Dr. Mario Pearson (and anyone else I either forgot because of the understandable brain fog, or simply couldn’t tag), it is because of you all that I the singer, actor, dancer (or “strong mover”), pianist, organist, conductor, arranger, music director, voice teacher, pedagogue, clinician, whatever it is, that I am today. I am forever grateful for you and indebted to you for all that you gave to me.
I stand on your shoulders, I hold everything you’ve shared with me in highest regard, and I will forever work to be to others what you have been for me. Thank you for making the world a safer, fuller, happier, warmer, kinder, grander, funnier, and all around better place. I love you all and I hope to make you proud! For all of us who are feeling this immense loss really hard today, I am here for you, I am grieving with you, and I offer this. For him, and for us. I’m hurting, I’m in shock, and I’m completely heartbroken for his close friends and family. I know that it will get worse and get better, but in addition to time, I know that art and music can heal, and as this is one of the greatest losses in my life thus far.
I have turned to them for the healing that I now that they can provide. I played this song with Caroline Yazdiya (the first friend I made at Bishop Snyder, on day one of school, in the music room) as the senior solo at our baccalaureate mass, and think it best quantifies the way that I and so many other students and colleagues are feeling as we process his passing. I hope it provides you with a moment of comfort, solace, and maybe even healing, but if not at least begets memories of the amazing man that we all loved and cared for so much.
One of the most heartbreaking things that can happen to a person on this earth is the death of a loved one. Everyone who is going through a difficult time as a result of this death is currently in our thoughts and prayers as we go through this difficult time. There must always be a destination at the end of each and every journey. The person’s journey on earth has sadly come to an end now that they have passed away; their time spent here is over.