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| Interview
with Tena
by
Mary Williams
|
 In
an ongoing series of trying to get to know our members better, your
editor, Mary Williams, interviewed Tena Hehn. Our thanks to her for
taking the time to answer these questions (e-mail at 3 a.m.!)
Mary: When did you join the Dallas Alumni Chapter?
Tena: I joined as soon as we moved here in May 1976. Frances
Stuart and Laura Nell Mitchell knew I had moved here, so made sure I
paid my dues fast! Not that I would have considered otherwise; I had
visited the chapter twice as Province Governor and knew several of you,
so was looking forward to "friends" in Dallas.
Mary:
What Mu Phi Epsilon offices have you held?
Tena: I have been active in all the chapters I have joined -
Treasurer, Vice President and President in Denton. Here, I have been
Secretary, Vice President, President and yearbook editor for several
years. Nationally, I have been privileged to serve in several capacities
as listed in the yearbook.
Mary: What would you like to see in our chapter or Mu Phi
generally?
Tena: I would like to see us celebrate our 100th year of
existence (and beyond) with a renewed spirit and many collegiates
affiliating with alumni chapters as well new members joining the
Fraternity. I think it gives us all a sense of unity and purpose in
service to music to belong to Mu Phi Epsilon. Did everyone notice the
Mission of MFE on p. 3? Even I didn't realize the IEB had reworded our
former Aims and Purposes. I like the spirit of this statement and fully
believe it, even before I became a member. We need to take these words
to heart and encourage young people and each other to continually
develop artistic endeavors.
Mary: Tell us about your musical background.
Tena: As a child, my mother said I was always listening to
records. I would try to pick out tunes on the piano in the church
basement. My greatest surprise one day just before 3rd grade was walking
into our dining room in this old 3-story house in Fredericksburg, Texas
(LBJ's grandfather had built it) and finding this huge old black upright
piano sitting there! I just stood there and cried. We found a teacher
just around the block, a German lady named Miss Jaye Hein; I studied
with her for 2 years before we moved to Houston. I had lost track of
her, but on a mini-vacation to Fredericksburg 4 years ago, I found her
name in the directory and went to visit. We have since corresponded, but
mainly talked on the phone. She is retired and incapacitated with a hand
injury, but she has been fascinating to "revisit;" she enjoys
discussing my teaching, children in general, literature, how teaching
and students have changed, just anything.
In our move to Houston, we found Ronald Miller with whom I studied until
college. The old upright was replaced by a Baldwin spinet that lasted
through four of us practicing for several years. I started organ lessons
in 7th grade, because our church pastor saw a need for an assistant
organist; during summers, I substituted at area churches - best job
ever! As a teenager, I played on some wonderful organs! Thank goodness I
could sightread! I started playing clarinet in junior high and by 8th
grade was accompanying other student solos and am still doing so today.
In 1965, I enrolled at North Texas State University in Denton as it was
known. I was on full scholarship for 4 years; in "those days",
tuition was $75 per semester and you could take as many hours as you
wanted. Music fees were $50 per semester and as a scholarship student
included 2 years of lesson on a secondary instrument-what a bargain! I
studied 2 years with Jack Roberts; to this day when I see him, I feel
like a little freshman quaking before the giant. He was temperamental
and demanding, but I always breezed through juries and learned a lot
from him. When he left to work on a doctorate, I switched to Richard
Cass who was kind and gentle. I just saw him at the Cliburn Competition
- he's still that way and even better looking! I gave a senior recital
when I was 7 ½ months pregnant in August 1968, had Glen in October,
student taught the spring semester and received a Music Education degree
with honors in 1969.
My main musical activity the last 25 years is teaching. Upon moving here
in 1976, I opened the studio and am still at it, now teaching the
children of former students. Along the way, I accompanied for Eugene
Conley and his studio at UNT for several years, substituted as organist,
and now am organist at our church, Oak Cliff Presbyterian. I played the
Lay Family Organ at the Meyerson with the DeSoto Band 2 years ago. When
in Alexandria, LA for 3 years, I was involved with The City Park
Players, a community theater group that presented 4 musicals per years;
I was the orchestra. Sometimes there was a drummer and other instrument
or two, but it was great fun. We'd stage a production in 6 weeks with 14
performances over two weeks time - they were amazingly talented
performances over two weeks time - they were amazingly talented actors
and singers. I also worked with the Red River Opera Company; the company
was about the same playing "The Music Man" with a small
orchestra, "Cosi Fan Tutti" and "The Mikado" - I was
highlighted in the local newspaper for that one. I never thought I could
play music like that; I keep telling my students you never know what
might happen to you when you get into music you meet the neatest people
and get to have the most fun.
Mary: What type of music do you prefer?
Tena: I love piano, organ, harpsichord, and opera - basically a
classical musician. I am not primarily a soloist, but I admire so many
of the artists I am lucky enough to hear these days.
Mary: How did you meet your husband?
Tena: We met on a road trip home to Houston in April 1966, my
freshman year. Ronnie lived there and was taking Greg to visit Houston
for the first time; I had a summer job interview. I thought Greg was so
neat - he was an Air Force brat who had lived many places and was SO
different from anyone I had ever been allowed to date (yes, my mother
was a "controller"; now you know where I get it!) We had two
flat tires on the way back to Denton and they had to borrow money from
me to get the second one fixed. The next weekend, Ronnie took me out,
became ill, and Greg took me back to the dorm; then, we began dating and
married in February 1968. Somehow, we are still together, but that is
always subject to change.
Mary: What are your musical activities now and how do you manage
to do all that?
Tena: Currently, I teach 34 students twice weekly, serve as
church organist at OCPC, play for Duncanville Rotary Club on Tuesdays
early, early morning (7 AM), accompany band solos in the spring, and
other performances as asked. It has been especially fun the last few
years to play for the weddings of former students.
In the music teacher organizations, I have served in many capacities as
an officer or chairman. Currently, I'm DMTA theory chair-man for the 6th
year; we have about 500 students take the tests each semester; in Dallas
Southwest MTA, I am Program and Ensemble chairman. I also chair the 5th
District South Zone Federation Festival, am active in Junior Pianists
Guild and a member of the American Guild of Organists. Every job in
these organizations is a big one, because we offer our students
opportunities to excel in performance, musical knowledge and
musicianship. These take a lot of time in addition to teaching, but I
never had these as a young person and I think they are very important to
a student's overall growth whether they stay in music or go into other
fields.
As far as managing, I make use of a big wall calendar where everything
is written down, just like a diary and a to-do list; our life history is
on these. My office is state-of-the-art with machines, computers, etc. -
now if I could find anything in these piles of papers on my desk! A
geologist might strike oil if he dug down far enough - I just need a
good secretary because I get busy doing things; actually, I need to
clone myself and am willing to offer whenever they are ready with that
research. Additionally, these fast fingers are good for more than piano
playing! My real secret to getting things done is an attitude of
"whatever it takes, I will get it done"; that's why I'm here
answering questions at 3:00 in the morning with lessons to teach at
8:30.
Mary: What other interests do you have besides music? How do you
spend your time?
Tena: I LOVE to read-books, newspapers, and my professional
magazines, but never have or make enough time to read as much as I'd
like. I love dachshunds - two black and tans who are mother/daughter
have lived with us 9 years; Texas A and M (I was raised an Aggie, so my
blood runs maroon); and movies. Greg and I are real movie-buffs, but
don't see as many as we once did.
Mary: Tell us about your family and family background.
Tena: I come from strong German stock, trading a long German
maiden name, Wahrmund, for a short German name, Hehn. The Wahrmunds were
one of the founders of Fredericksburg and made peace with the Indians;
the name is on building plaques and in photos around the town. Tena was
my maternal great-grandmother's name; that side is mainly Scot-Irish. My
mother and best friend died in 1986 of multiple myeloma; my father is 79
and in Kruse Village, an assisted living facility owned by the Lutheran
Brotherhood and Blue Bell family in Brenham. I am the oldest of four
children, all born two years apart and college graduates. Judy is a math
teacher in Irving, Honi now works as a volunteer hospital chaplain in
Houston, and baby brother Hank who just turned 49, works for Christus
Hospitals in Houston. I have been told I was unmercifully bossy when we
were growing up; I'm sure this is just a figment of their over-active
imaginations--bossy, moi?!! Greg and I have one son, Glen, residing in
England with his wife, Joanna and her two sons, James 15 and Daniel, 13.
Mary: Anything else we should know about you?
Tena: As a Taurus, I am conservative, stubborn, resistant to
change, task-oriented and posses a very strong work ethic (if there's a
job to be done, I'll do it!) I am a news junkie and try to stay informed
on many areas. Greg says I have made his life very pleasant and many
parents have said I am very patient with their children. I'd like to
slow down a bit, to travel and see more of the world - our trips to
Germany and England have been so wonder-filled, just seeing places from
history and books. Meanwhile, I just keep on teaching and playing,
trying to spread the joy and beauty of music to others.
Mary: Tena, thanks so much!
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