Newsletter: May-June 2025
Claudia’s Comments
As we come to the close of this year, we can reflect on the many opportunities we had to share our friendship, some delicious food and so much delightful music! Through our concert series, really talented musicians have shared their talent with so many and though it was a busy year for all, we were able to provide healing music to those in need and inspirational music in our churches and temples as well as for ourselves. Our teachers have uplifted their students with their love of music, rhythm and harmony that those children’s lives have been truly nourished.
I had no idea all those years ago when I pledged, that Mu Phi Epsilon and its motto is so necessary and would have a great capacity to affect so many in a positive way. We are lucky indeed to be a part of this organization and it is my hope that we can work hard this coming year to continue the good works with our music, friendship and harmony. Take some time to reflect, relax and refresh. Hope you have a great summer!
Mu Phi,
Claudia Jameson, President
Last Meetings
Performers Susan Poelchau, Nancy Laine and Tena Hehn with composer and host Kary Freiberger (in white).
MARCH: WE LOVE PIANOS
We met on Tuesday, March 11 at the home of Katy Freiberger, Co-hosts were Cherie Bell, Claudia Jameson and Pat Suitt. Our program began with Susan Poelchau who remembered her Mu Phi piano teacher/mentors Frances Stuart and Lee Thompson with these pieces:
Entrance, from “Forest Scenes,” by Robert Schumann
Moment Musical Opus 16 #5, by Rachmaninoff
Tena Hehn celebrated Katy Freiberger’s musical career with highlights from her life. (They will be added to Interview with Katy on our website.) Tena and Nancy Laine performed four fun and challenging piano duets which Katy wrote for TMTA competition students many years ago:
The Rickety Rocking Horse
Teasing Game
The Train to Topolobampo
The Wallaby Waltz
APRIL: OUR COLLEGIATES ROCK!
On Saturday, April 12 at the home of Nancy Laine, a small group of members enjoyed a potluck lunch and conversation. We did not have applicants for our scholarship nor performers at this meeting. Megan Gomen was planning to play harp for us, but was sick.
Our dues for 27 chapter members were paid; $7 per person was also paid for insurance for the International. Our hosting fee for our website was $285 and was paid for one year. Our 3-year domain fee has two more years to go before we are billed again.
There are some changes that still need to be made to update the website, with Mary needing help of Basil to complete them. The March Newsletter is currently available as the most recent Newsletter and this one will be up shortly.
In the afternoon, three of us attended the optional Theater trip to see a well-done performance by area teens of the musical Hadestown presented by McKinney Youth Onstage at the Church Street Auditorium in McKinney. Ashley Bouras is musical director with this group.
MAY: BREAKING BREAD TOGETHER
On Monday, May 12 we met for a potluck dinner at the townhome of Mary Williams where guests tried a vegetarian meal with Mary's spaghetti and meatball entree (made with heart of palm pasta, vegetarian meatballs and assorted veggies, with a choice of sauces and cheese) plus other wonderful sides and desserts, including Mary Ann Taylor's homemade bread.
Newish members Rebekah Boatright and Meghan Gomen joined long-time members Nancy Laine, Claudia Jameson, Mary Ann Taylor, Susan Poelchau, Sylvia Taylor, Pat Suitt, Cherie Bell, Mary Williams, and our beloved patron Mary Alice Rich and accompanist/guest Tinashe McGowan.
Our delightful program was given by Cherie Bell, soprano accompanied by Tinashe McGowan from Booker T Washington Arts Magnet High School who is graduating and will soon be off to attend San Francisco Conservatory in San Francisco.
Cherie sang jazz favorites that both of them leaned from recordings: Cole Porter’s “I’m in Love Again,” a Beat song called “Centerpiece,” “Simelau” as performed by Peggy Lee and a Leon Russell song called “A Song for You.” accompanied beautifully by Tinashe.
chapter news
triangle
Mary Ann Taylor's excellent article on the Dallas MPE Concert Series was prominently featured in the Spring Triangle. If you haven't looked at your magazine yet, you won't have to look far for her article - the first one. Thanks to our “writer in residence.“
scholarship
There was discussion about the amount of the scholarship, which remains at $500. This year there were no applicants. A suggestion was made to consider widening the pool of applicants beyond Mu Phi membership, in the hopes of enticing winners to apply for membership. This topic remains open for further discussion as this scholarship is an incentive for college musicians to become Mu Phis. President Claudia Jameson would like to plan some in person visits to chapters to acquaint them with the Dallas Alumni chapter and our scholarship.
Phyllis Wilson
Phyllis applied for a 501C grant for her Pilot Point Fine Arts program, which includes a preschool music program as well as choir, handbells and culinary arts. Her Mu Phi grant application was never acknowledged.
Update: Phyllis has clarified her involvement with the Fine Arts program. The Board applied for 501c status and it was granted. She had no participation in that paperwork, but is currently serving on the Board as the person in charge of programming and teacher oversight, as well as the director of the handbell program with pre-teens. The new name for the organization is Pilot Point Community Arts Inc.
She is very excited with new ideas going forward to include other art expressions, such as group piano, painting and culinary arts. Since the status of the organization has changed, she is not sure if she now qualifies for a Mu Phi grant. She will do more research and appreciates all the interest our Alum Chapter has shown in this project.
website
Our website will soon have a new look and a slightly different format with a move to SquareSpace as our hosting with GoDaddy has become unsustainable. Is is being redesigned by Basil Bouras providing his website and photography expertise.with Mary Williams supplying content based on our Newsletter and Concert Series. You will find the same information on the new website and hopefully it will be more accessible, stable and affordable.
planning meeting
Claudia announced a Board planning meeting for June 6 at 10:30 at La Madelaine on Mockingbird (for lunch). We will look at a schedule and possible meetings for next year, so be thinking of how you can participate as a meeting host or performer and what month works best for you.
serv hours
Serv hours are due by May 15 so Claudia Jameson can include it in her annual report. There is a form in your yearbook you can use, but the link is outdated. The new procedure is for members to report their SERV hours individually to Mu Phi International website. The form is hard to find and I include the instructions and link here (thanks to Nancy Laine for her research). If it is difficult for you to use, or you have already turned in your hours to Claudia, Nancy is willing to enter your hours for you. If you do so, please provide her with the information in our yearbook and your Mu Phi Epsilon ID number (if you can find it). These instructions below will be in our next yearbook.
reporting serv hours
In the effort to make reporting your SERV hours easier we are starting a new on-line system. Everyone should report their OWN hours on the fraternity's website.
Go to Member Resources, then go to Alumni Forms & Manuals.
Scroll down to “Report SERV Hours”
The form will auto fill, with your name, address, chapter and email.
You will need to fill out the following:
Description of Projects / Activities This information is for the collegiate and alumni advisors to give us an idea of the project/activities that our members are doing. This is optional, but we encourage you to provide this information.
Total Hours for the date range reported. Note: Hours may include travel to and from the SERV activity.
Report SERV Hours link: https://mpe.memberclicks.net/serv2#!/
If you have problems or need help, contact Nancy Laine: intreble@swbell.net
member news
Pat Hill is out of the hospital after her fall in spring and now has full time assistance and hospice help. She thanked members for the card we sent and replied to the May meeting announcement: "Much as I would like, I will not be at the May meeting at your house. You are such a fine hostess and always a pleasure to be with. Have a great meeting and plenty of food! My love and best wishes to all of the members - I'm so glad to have been a part of our fraternity all these years. God bless you all!! Pat Hill"
Sandra McMillen continues to have mobility and health issues that keep her at home. Cards were signed at the March meeting and sent to her. Sandra replied: "I loved the beautiful card the chapter sent It lifted my spirits. Sandra"
Amy Canchola spoke and performed at the NATS convention in March featuring women composers.
Amy attended her son's pentathlon competition on the day of our April meeting.
Ashley Bouras, music director of McKinney Youth on Stage says that her group is a finalist for an award: Honoring McKinney Youth on STAGE (MYO) as a Finalist for the Volunteer Group of the Year at the 2025 Spirit of Volunteerism Awards!
Ashley, shown here at rehearsal of Alice in Wonderland with daughter Constance, will be ending her association with group with this production – with mixed feelings.
For 14 years, MYO has brought low-cost, high-quality performing arts opportunities to students in McKinney and the surrounding areas. With 80 plays, musicals, and summer camps under their belt, MYO has touched the lives of over 20,000 attendees and helped students build essential life skills like confidence, teamwork, and time management.
Their all-volunteer team dedicates over 400 hours annually to make each production a success, and their work impacts not only the students but the entire community. The McKinney Arts Commission partially funds MYO, and they’ve recently received the Silver Award in Performing Arts from McKinney Community Votes! This arts group will be giving its last performance in May and dissolving, as the director is retiring after many years volunteering.
Ashley Bouras reported on being a finalist for a teaching award: “When your world revolves around taking care of others, it’s difficult to celebrate your own wins. This is a win for me. I didn’t advance to final round, but I got a $250 gift card and some validation that I am valuable to the field of education.”
Congratulations Ashley!
Claudia Jameson and Mary Alice Rich’s grant-winning opera, Anam the Witch and Beatrice the Beautiful, was presented by the TCU opera company with performances for schools on March 28-29. The April 5 and 6 performances were rescheduled by the schools participating. It included beautiful sets and costumes and was produced by TCU students led by David Mejia, who headed the team for his master's project.
TCU has requested that Mary Alice write a version of the opera for string quartet with trumpet and mariachis so that it can be an ongoing student project. Anam is now in repertory in the TCU opera program and Mary Alice will orchestrate the piano part.
Discussions are also ongoing about providing 4-6 performances of Anam as part of the Fort Worth Opera outreach program next year. This lovely little opera is taking on a life of its own!
Mary Alice Rich’s daughter Melanie performed at the Dallas Comedy Club on May 3rd with a group highlighting mental illness awareness. She performed her own compositions on autoharp and played for us a few years ago.
Nancy Laine’s son Chris Unzicker, who has played for us recently, played most of his doctoral recital in a concert at NorthLake College on May 3rd.
Susan Poelchau missed the April meeting as she and Harald were attending the marvelous Jordi Savall concert in Boston. Jordi Savall is a well-known concert performer, teacher and researcher of early music; he interprets and performs the repertory both as a [viola da gamba] gambist and as a conductor. He has recorded and released more than 230 discs covering the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical music repertories, with a special focus on the Hispanic and Mediterranean musical heritage, receiving many awards.
Mary Williams welcomed her two east-coast daughters (one with family) for Easter week with Easter dinner including the locals for a total of 19 for dinner at her house, and a birthday party for all the spring-birthers later in the week at her grand-daughter Nicole's new house in North Richhland Hills.
She attended her oldest grandson Douglas Dyer’s graduation from UTA on Friday, May 9th and a party for him on May 10th. . >
She also gave presentations this month at a Unity Church class on Levels of Consciousness - writings of David Hawkins, and for the Science and Religion online Zoom discussion group on Life Between Lives based on the books Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton, PhD. She will be on the SAIL (Collin County’s senior program) class roster for fall giving three travel presentations on Canada.
That pretty patio of Mary’s required lots of yard work this spring with removal of three trees, new plantings and also front yard sod. Flooding with the heavy rains in her house after misplacement of new gutters funneled the water into her house instead of away from it. Now fixed. Busy time.
Mary Ann Taylor had a poem accepted/published this past month in a Writer's Garret compilation of poems: The Common Language Project. "They also sent a congratulatory email. I was truly surprised."
Mary Ann also participated in the 44th Annual National Day of Prayer Luncheon at the Morton H Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, organized by the Thanks-Giving Foundation and its Interfaith Council where she is active. It represents a great opportunity for people of all traditions and faiths to come together in unity with one another.
Akosuaa Adwini-Poku gave her final senior recital on Sunday evening April 27th at SMU. Congratulations!
Kathie Johnson has been sorry to miss so many meetings, but it’s been necessary because she needed to focus on Karrell’s health. Our prayers go out to Kathie and Karrell.
concert series
The excellent concert with Moitoi Takeda, violin and Fenia Chang, piano also attracted a large crowd and was wonderful.
In Spring the Dallas Harp Society concert featuring Korean harpist Adam Phan drew 101 concert-goers!
The Ochiro Trio became a duet with the illness of Natasha Merchant just before the performance, Julee Kim Walker, flute and Bobby Lapinski, clarinet still performing a lovely program.
Seugmin Oh, flute and her accompanist Daeun Han attracted many of their young Asian friends and we had a record number of strollers, babies and toddlers attending, with a total around 60.
We ran into a conflict with a protest march that ended up at City Hall across the street from the Library on March 30 and opted to postpone Carelle Flores' concert till fall.
Seongun Cheong, pianist and master student of Carole Leone at SMU with fluist Celia Kang played a beautiful program but didn't invite friends so played for a moderate-sized audience. Though we are getting more "regulars" to Library concerts, telling your friends really helps audience size!
Both Catalin Dima and Yeongsok Kwon played beautiful piano concerts for a small but appreciative audiences. You missed some good ones!
Mary Williams has received the audience mailing list from Kimla Beasley, enlisting others at concerts, and began sending a weekly email to subscribers (including all the Mu Phis in Dallas she can find) with the weekly upcoming program and bios. She also posts this info on our Facebook page before each concert.
Andrew Anderson already has a few people offering to play at concerts in fall. He will set a schedule and begin asking for performers soon.
As for our involvement: We are still listed as co-sponsors of the series along with the Library.
We are contributing:
Publicity (emailing list, posters at the Dallas libraries, Facebook notices) and
Presence at the desk at concerts (ask Mary Williams for details of duties).
The Desk Person position is a Mu Phi CHAPTER volunteer opportunity. Please consider volunteering to do this at least one Sunday afternoon this coming year (end of September through week before Thanksgiving, and end of February through week before Easter) - arriving at the library by 1:30, staying through the concert that you can hear but not see.
Concerts start at 2 pm on Sundays at the downtown Library {1515 Young St.} and are FREE.
Parking in the garage under the Library is also free – enter from Wood St, behind the Library. Whether you are at the desk or not, please support these talented musicians who are volunteering their time and talent to help us achieve our goal of bringing music to Dallas, especially under-served populations. Bring friends.
At the beginning of summer our website still has our current concert season on view; and will have the new concert series schedule as it progresses into fall, with performer biographies and photos as we receive them and their programs as we receive them. Go to www.muphiepsilondallas.org Click on Concert Series – Select Schedule, Performers, Programs, or History.
Go to www.muphiepsilondallas.org
Click on Concert Series – Select Schedule, Performers, Programs, or History.
international
Chapter members have voted YES on all three proposed amendments to International by-laws.