Newsletter September 2024
CLAUDIA'S COMMENTS
Dear Friends,
Welcome to a new Mu Phi season!
Our Board had a successful meeting this summer and is diligently working to prepare for our times together and share new ideas and performances with you for an eventful and prosperous year.
I especially enjoyed our last meeting in May 2024, where Kathie Johnson presented on Hildegard of Bingen. I was fascinated by Hildegard’s life story and the tremendous strength she showed in getting the hierarchy of the church to acknowledge her music, poetry and paintings of her visions. It couldn’t have been an easy thing to do.
It made me think of the strengths and talents of each of you and the great contributions you make in your everyday lives and especially with your music. Though each of you is such an amazing person and so talented, you still work hard to support the rest of us in our musical endeavors as well. I don’t forget how you all helped Mary Alice and me get the Helen Haupt grant to perform our children’s opera. I was moved by your positivity and assistance and to think that we were able to perform at the 2023 convention! Many thanks. Bravo to us all!
Let’s continue to help and uplift each other in whatever way we can. It really does make a difference!
In Music, Friendship and Harmony,
Claudia Jameson, President
UPCOMING MEETINGS
September: Everyone Participates!
Saturday, September 7, 11 am
Location: Home of Ashley Bouras
Host: Ashley Bouras
Potluck lunch – Please RSVP to Ashley
Please bring a dish to share.
Program:
- Karaoke Hour
- Chris Unzicker, guitar
October: Combining Great Sounds
Monday, October 7 – 7 pm
Location: Home of Pat Suitt
Host: Pat Suitt
Co-hosts:
Program: Claudia Jameson, piano and Lisa Beyer, cello - "Elegie" by Massenet
Pat Suitt and Margaret Mulvaney-Claibourne, duo-piano - TBD
LAST MEETING
May: Recalling Our History
Monday May 13, 7 pm
Our last meeting for this school year was hosted by Kathie Johnson who gave a presentation on the life and music of Hildegard of Bingen - a German Benedictine abbess who was active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary and medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages. New officers were installed and Susan Poelchau provided genuine Hildegard (German) cookies.
CHAPTER NEWS
New Officers
The following slate of officers for the year June 2024-June 2025 was presented to members at the last meeting and was accepted by acclamation. Thanks to Nominating Committee members Tena Hehn, Nancy Laine and Ashley Bouras.
President: Claudia Jameson
Secretary: Susan Poelchau
Treasurer: Nancy Laine
Chaplain: Fran Pearson
Steward: Cherie Bell
Historian: Mary Williams
Not present: Vice-President (Membership): Lisa Beyer; and Chorister (Programs): Ashley Bouras; (with committee of Noe Garcia Jacinto, Tena Hehn and membership)
Website
The website is mostly updated but I wanted to let you know there is still a problem with Chrome updating these new files. So - please access our current website using Firefox or Edge at
http://www.muphiepsilondallas.org. Hopefully our hosting provider will be able to fix the situation with Chrome before too long.
News and Dues
Thank you Cherie Bell for sending get well cards and checking on some of our members.
Nancy Laine made changes to our banking for better access.
She says Dues are due. Or at least, your RESPONSE is due.
1) confirm your intention to renew your membership and
2) confirm and/or update your contact info.
3) Better yet, just go ahead and pay your dues now and check that off your to-do list altogether.
Dues for 2024-2025 are the same as last year (with the exception of the normal one cent increase in Founder’s Day pennies).
These pages have been updated:
Home page
Meetings - dates for this year - see where you can be a co-host or an additional performer
Last newsletter - May; will have September Newsletter before first meeting Sept 7
Scholarships - updated for 2025 with new forms
Concert Series for this year (15 concerts now scheduled - yay!); several more names to be added.
Concert Performers - bios and photos of previous performers; new ones not available yet - will be added; links within the page still not done
Concert Programs - list of performers, but their programs are not available yet.
Concert History - updated
You can also make contributions to the chapter and/or scholarship fund if you wish.
Recent graduates (those who graduated within the past three years) may request a one-time waiver from the fraternity assessment.
Options for paying your dues:
- Mail a check to Nancy Laine
- Bring your payment to the September or October meeting
- Venmo payment to @MuPhiEpsilon-Dallas
- Contact Nancy Laine if you need to make other arrangements - [email protected]
Member News
Anam
Mary Alice Rich reports that the Last Anam performance will take place on Sept. 20 afternoon and use up the last of our MPE Foundation grant money.
She says "Just another opportunity to thank you and our MPE Dallas Alumni Chapter for bringing our live Children's Opera into public schools..."
Vicky Suarez, who is Music Specialist and Choral Director at George Bannerman Dealey Montessori and International Academy in DISD, will be our host there.
Amy Canchola presented at the NATS convention in July.
Meghan Gomen, who visited us at a meeting a few months ago, said she does want to be included in our membership this year! Yeah!
Her first baby, Maeve, was born on August 8th, a couple of weeks early, and is doing very well. Meghan, however, had a very difficult delivery, during which the doctor discovered she had a pulmonary embolism. (As if labor by itself isn't enough of a challenge!) Thankfully, she's recovering and enjoying spending time with her precious new daughter.
Kathie Johnson
Kathie had a surprise heart attack in July and received two stents in an emergency procedure at Medical City. She is recovering at home and generally making progress, despite occasional setbacks. She is grateful for the grace of God which brought her through this dangerous time, and she would appreciate messages of support.
Correction to her Zip code - contact webmaster.
Our Mu Phi pianist Leslie Spotz has retired from Tarleton University in Stephenville as Professor of Piano. She may be teaching in Stephenville in fall keeping a few students she loves.
She plans to be just as active, but doing more fun things including more performing and recording. She performed at "Eipianopira Festival" in Brazil this past July and gave three concerts in Sweden in late August. In November she performs at the Dallas library on the 10th, and she is playing at Oak Branch Music Nov 17 which is a little west of Austin and then will be guest artist at Costa Rica Piano Festival. In January she will be back at the Library accompanying Ivo Ivanov, violinist from the Fort Worth Symphony. "That'll keep me busy for awhile!" she says. Let us support this Mu Phi performer by attending her concerts at the Library.
Ashley Bouras directed singers for "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" musical at Cox playhouse in May; took a cruise with Basil and the girls, has a first-grader now and a newly decorated room at school starting year 12, and attended the MPE International Board meeting
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Ashley Bouras and Lisa Beyer are presenting at the American Orff Schulwerk Association (AOSA) national conference on November 11, 2024 in Iowa. The session is Mindful Movement - a session they shared with the chapter a few years back and will repeat at the November meeting.
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Basil Bouras celebrated one year with with Rayburn Electric Cooperative. He also has a photography business and beautiful photos and frames for sale.
Pat Hill responded to the request of TCU Epsilon Epsilon chapter in spring to share thoughts about being a Mu Phi.
She said: I apologize for not being able to be at your meeting and for being late with my words. But I will share just a few.
I arrived on the TCU campus in September, 1947 - hence am an "emerald" member of Chapter EE for 75 years.
I was there for the installation of the Chapter. At that time, the whole Music Department was housed on the third floor of the main building -
We watched Ed Landreth Auditorium being built, played on that stage for all exams and performed there with the TCU Symphony with a three-piano version of Bach's g minor fugue.
I was the pianist in the Faculty String Quartet, accompanied the ballet classes, as well as taught piano off campus. TCU was my second home, spending three hours a day practicing in one of the practice rooms.
After graduating Magna cum Laude in 1951, I married a musician, taught piano, became a Life member and District President of National Federation of Music Clubs as well as President of Melodie Club. The only other member I kept up with was Frances Estes who was a member of the Fort Worth Symphony and who has since passed on.
Music has been a part of my life all my life and I shall always be grateful for Mu Phi and its support of me and helping others through our scholarship program.
"Oh, tell us what this life would be if it were not for song."
Patricia Hill, Dallas Alumni Chapter
Susan and Harald Poelchau were finally able to go on their postponed trip to Colorado to visit their families and friends up and down the Front Range. They acclimated well enough to head over Monarch Pass to their friends in Ouray on the West Slope. They finished with a drive over Red Mountain Pass (shown here) down the Million Dollar Highway, which advertises the “cleanest air in America.”
Joan Merriman, musician and friend of many Mu Phis, died June 29. A service for her will be held on Friday, October 18 at 2 pm at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church in Dallas. She requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Dallas Symphony, Dallas Opera or Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University (her alma mater).
Concert Series
We welcome Andrew Anderson, head librarian in the Fine Arts section at the Central Library who will take over running our series starting in fall, keeping our name on it.
We have 15 concert slots filled for the 2024-2025 season. With many thanks to Andrew we still have our name on this series and have a close connection to it. Please support these talented musicians who are volunteering their time and talent to help us bring our goal of bringing music to Dallas, especially under-served populations.
Concerts are at 2 pm at the downtown Library and are still FREE. Parking in the garage under the Library us also free. Bring friends!
Our website has the concert schedule, performer biographies and photos as we receive them, and their programs as we receive them. There will be the addition of names of collaborators and accompanists as we go along. Since Andrew works some Sundays and is not able to introduce the program, we may still need volunteers to take care of the table and introduce the performers. It is possible that someone from the Library may do this, but I don't know yet what the procedure will be yet.
NEXT MEETING
Saturday, September 7th at 11 am
Potluck lunch and program
Home of Ashley Bouras
INTERNATIONAL
International Board Meeting
The International Executive Board met for the annual in-person meeting towards the end of June. There were three full days jam-packed with discussion, brainstorming, fellowship, and planning for the ongoing success of Mu Phi Epsilon. Ashley Bouras says "We came away invigorated and with lots of ideas that we can't wait to share with our members in this coming year."
See the Foundation website if you are interested in getting a grant or scholarship.
http://www.MPEFoundation.org
Mu Phi Epsilon Foundation Board
[email protected]
MPE International Executive Board:
Ann Geiler- 3rd VP - Alumni Advisor
Haley Stevens- Social media
Kat Bratz - Triangle Editor
Liana Sandin - 1st VP – Extension Officer
Kurt-Alexander Zeller - President
Marshall Pugh - 4th VP – Music Advisor
Ashley Bouras - 2nd VP – Collegiate Advisor
Tanner Wilson - 5th VP – Eligibility Advisor
Jess LaNore INEST - International Executive Office/Secretary/Treasurer
