UNT student overcomes the loss of her fingers to follow dream of being pianist, composer

DENTON, Texas - One University of North Texas student almost had to give up music, but is now following her dream of being a composer.

Mason Bynes is a pianist, and has had to overcome some major obstacles after losing two of her fingers in a car accident.

During her freshman year of college, while Christmas shopping, her car popped a curb, and rolled over and slid.

Bynes called it “a crazy, freak accident.”

Doctors tried their best to make sure there were no lasting injuries, but the accident caused her to lose two fingers on her left hand.

Bynes said it was very traumatic for her, but credits a piano proficiency test, which students have to pass to get into the program and graduate from the program, with helping her get back on track.

“I think it was a good thing that I had this piano test I had to pass, because it forced me to get a grip and reclaim my space. And figure out, like, how am I going to get through this,” Bynes said.

She now wears two purple prosthetic fingers to help her play piano.

Bynes graduates from UNT on May 10. She recently accepted a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee.

After that, she’s looking forward to a career composing music for films and other media.

“I think this whole process has given me a really big sense of clarity as far as what’s important, and how bad do I want to be a composer. And how bad do I want to write music," she said.