Faculty Profile: Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield
Tatiana Mayfield Brown, known to audiences and students alike as Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield, grew up surrounded by sound. Raised on the west side of Fort Worth, Texas, she was immersed early in a rich musical ecosystem shaped by her parents’ wide-ranging tastes. Jazz and soul filled the house, while classical music played an equally formative role, courtesy of her father’s devotion to the canon. Long before she understood genre distinctions or career paths, music was simply part of daily life.
That early openness to musical variety would become a defining feature of Mayfield’s artistry and pedagogy. “I was really blessed,” she recalls, “to have parents who were open to listening to all kinds of music.” That openness planted seeds that would eventually grow into a career bridging jazz, contemporary popular music, and education.
Mayfield began studying trombone and piano around age eleven, coinciding with her entry into middle school band. She thrived in the structured world of ensembles, competitions, and marching band, playing continuously through high school.
Mayfield often spent time alone in her room, accompanied by a small record player, borrowed albums, and a tape recorder. She sang privately, shy about letting anyone hear her voice. Music became both refuge and rehearsal space. At age eleven, she took a leap of faith by performing in a local talent show—an experience she describes as transformative. “That just kind of changed everything,” she says. “I fell in love with music.”
A few years later, at age thirteen, Mayfield attended a jazz camp that crystallized what had been simmering beneath the surface. Though she had grown up listening to jazz at home, the immersive experience of playing it—learning its language, its freedom, its history—made its power unmistakable. “That’s when I realized,” she says, “this is what I want to do.”
She went on to study jazz at the University of North Texas, earning her bachelor’s degree in 2010. After graduating, Mayfield spent the next decade performing regionally, building her career as a vocalist while teaching young students at a music academy. Those years were formative not only musically, but pedagogically, shaping her belief that education and performance are most powerful when they inform one another.
Eventually, her passion for teaching led her back to the classroom. She earned a master’s degree in jazz composition from the University of Texas at Arlington, completing the program during the COVID-19 pandemic. She remained at UT Arlington as a faculty member until 2023, refining her voice as an educator and mentor before taking her next step.
Mayfield had never visited Colorado before performing with the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra, an experience that introduced her to Denver’s vibrant jazz scene. Soon after, she appeared with the Lamont Jazz Orchestra, and when a faculty position opened at the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music, she knew she had found something special. She joined Lamont in 2023 as Assistant Professor of Contemporary Popular Music.
“This is the first time I really feel like I have the opportunity to teach the way I like teaching,” she says. “And to be a part of this community.”
At Lamont, Mayfield teaches jazz voice and contemporary styles, encompassing genres beyond the classical tradition: jazz, R&B, pop, country, rock, and more. Her teaching portfolio includes private voice lessons, songwriting courses, and leadership of multiple vocal ensembles.
“My philosophy is to meet the student where they are,” she explains. “Each student comes in with a different background, culture, and set of experiences. I want to help fine tune and elevate the talents they already have.”
For Mayfield, teaching is deeply relational. She believes inspiration flows both ways, and she actively brings her professional experiences into the classroom, modeling what a sustainable, creative musical life can look like.
Lamont’s jazz and commercial music students benefit from an ecosystem rich with opportunity. In addition to rigorous coursework in theory, history, composition, and arranging, students perform regularly in ensembles and small groups. Weekly jazz performance classes give students the chance to perform both jazz standards and contemporary repertoire, receiving feedback from faculty in a supportive environment. Outside the classroom, Denver’s thriving music scene offers ample opportunities for gigs, collaborations, and broadcasts—often through community partners like KUVO Jazz.
Mayfield is particularly excited by the entrepreneurial spirit she sees among Lamont students. “They’re forming their own bands,” she says. “They’re creating their own opportunities.” That initiative, she believes, is essential preparation for life as a working musician.
Looking ahead, Mayfield envisions a bright future for Lamont’s jazz program, one that gains national recognition for its faculty excellence, student talent, and culture of mentorship. “There’s so much to offer here,” she says. “I want people across the country to hear about what’s happening at Lamont.”
As for her own career, Mayfield remains committed to performing at the highest level. Her résumé includes appearances at NPR’s Tiny Desk, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, the Blue Note in Japan, performances in the UK, and collaborations with ensembles such as the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. These experiences continue to fuel her artistry and her teaching.
Ultimately, Mayfield measures success not only in accolades or stages, but in impact. “I want to leave behind inspiration,” she says. “Something my students can take with them forever.” She believes the most meaningful lessons often extend beyond music, shaping confidence, resilience, and humanity.
At Lamont, she has found a place where that mission feels not only possible, but shared. “This community feels like home,” she says. “And we make sure our students feel that way, too.”
