Love for music brings Mariano Gongora from Argentina to Southwestern

Mariano Gongora’s journey to and time spent at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary is an example of the unique circumstances and opportunities that continue to bring faithful students with incredible talent from across the globe to study in Fort Worth.

Gongora was born in Argentina where he lived most of his life. When he was 12 years old, he found himself being drawn to play music and by 15 he was enrolled in a small music school taking piano lessons. After high school, he was accepted to a conservatory where he began a program focused on cello, which, while educational and supportive, he found ultimately unfulfilling.

“The thing is that I was working in [the conservatory] in the administration, and that was 10 hours a day, Monday to Friday, sometimes Saturday,” Gongora lamented. “That was basically taking most of my time, and it wasn’t music related.”

After several years trying to keep up with coursework while simultaneously juggling his long workdays and working to build a musical career, Gongora knew something had to change. A catalyst would come in 2020 when the COVID-19 virus grasped Argentina and the rest of the world.

“COVID hit Argentina, and everything started to shut down. So, everything was kind of problematic for my progress,” Gongora recalled.

It was during this time Gongora spoke with Oscar Dressler, a professor at a Baptist seminary in Argentina who had taught Gongora’s mother when she had attended the seminary. This interaction would point Gongora’s journey towards Southwestern, as Dressler was a SWBTS alumnus who earned both master’s and doctoral degrees.

Gongora recalled saying to Dressler, “‘I know that you were studying overseas, so I would like to hear about your experience.’ And he said, ‘okay, apply to Southwestern.’”

Encouraged by the conversation, Gongora felt compelled to apply to the seminary though he admitted he is typically reluctant “to take the first step.” It was a conversation with his father, a graduate of the Argentinian Baptist seminary as well, that pushed him to take a leap of faith. He recalled them speaking one day, his father inquiring about his time at the conservatory and aspirations for life, and Gongora feeling stuck, determined to finish his program but unsure what would follow.

“I just wanted to finish the program to say I got the degree, period,” Gongora said, adding he had begun to feel discouraged in Argentina. “And then at one moment, he said something like, ‘You know what? I don’t see you anymore here in Argentina.’ And that kept me thinking over and over again during several days.”

With the idea of pursuing opportunities outside of Argentina now at the forefront of his mind, Gongora put in his application with Southwestern and began his own seminary journey. Arriving on campus in July 2022, Gongora began pursuing his Bachelor’s of Music in Performance and Piano with a minor in organ. That combination has opened doors outside of the campus as well, such as playing organ at Gambrell Street Baptist Church.

“I added organ as a minor and that’s the thing that actually allows me to work over there at Gambrell Street Baptist Church,” Gongora said. “… The experience is just amazing. I mean, having just in two or three years of being here, I’ve had a bigger experience of whatever I could do in Argentina.”

Gongora does not find himself with an abundance of free time as he juggles practice, working at the library, serving at his church, and taking courses. But when he needs a break from the reading assignments for his classes, he’s found running to be a good stress-reliever.

“You just plug in your music and start to run, and I just really enjoy doing that,” Gongora said.

Outside of his music studies, the largest thing that has stood out to Gongora during his academic studies at Southwestern has been learning to write argumentative research papers. He said it has had an unexpected impact on how he speaks to people every day.

“You need to know exactly what you want to put in your paper, especially research papers, like need to have a thesis on how you will argue against or in favor of that,” Gongora elaborated. “And that kind of helped me to change my mind on, whenever people ask me questions, trying to be more straight[-forward], trying to give some background, if necessary.”

Some professors Gongora feels have had the largest impact on his time so far include John Mann, associate professor of business and theology, for his encouragement throughout his systematic theology class.

“For me, being an international student, still dealing with some English concepts and trying to take courses [like] systematic [theology], I was just terrified of that,” Gongora explained. “But he’s been super clear, super encouraging, and always available outside classroom.”

Coleman Ford, assistant professors of humanities, has also stood as a great influence on Gongora in his apologetics class.

“He’s always so much fun and making interest in the class because I got him for apologetics, and that’s definitely not a strong area in my life,” Gongora said. “I am more of an introverted person.”

Of his music professors, Gongora said Marc Brown, assistant professor of church music and worship and conductor of the Texas Baptist College choir who arrived at Southwestern the same semester as Gongora, helped him feel welcomed to the campus and has remained a friendly face.

“Whatever I took with him, and even during choir, it was so much fun with him,” Gongora said of his studies with Brown. “And he was always attentive to whatever needs I have, and if I needed a ride to somewhere or whatever.

“…He’s been always such a kind of warm person,” Gongora concluded.

Finally, Gongora spoke on Joe Crider, dean of the School of Church Music and Worship, saying he is an excellent leader, providing pastoral care, but is also a father figure to the school.

“He’s always walking here and there, and always cheering people and saying ‘hi,’” Gongora said. “I mean, he’s just fantastic.”

In the future, Gongora said he plans to continue ultimately into a doctoral program, so he might serve as a professor passing on his knowledge and skills to future generations, teaching anything “related to music—music theory, musicology, history of music.”

He also sees the potential to perform as organists are harder to come by than the average musician.

“I can be as a soloist or maybe with an orchestra,” Gongora pondered. “With organ, you have more limited options, actually, but the options are there. The cool thing is that people are actually looking for organists.”

While he is keen to go wherever the Lord leads him in the future, he posited the idea that coming from the U.S. and American studies provides open doors across the globe.

“I’m open to whatever option God has in store for me,” Gongora said. “I do know whether I stay here or not, the U.S.A. basically opens opportunities everywhere. So, it can be here, or it can be outside, overseas, Europe, who knows?”