Elevating Graduate Study in the Scholarship & Performance of Music
A Legacy Gift Honoring Dr. William Smialek & Dr. Molly McCoy “Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” Frédéric Chopin
Where Music Thrives | Championing Music Scholarship Bill, your journey began with a strong desire to deepen your understanding of music. You pursued graduate studies at the University of North Texas and a prestigious Fulbright Fellowship in Poland where you immersed yourself in studying Chopin. But it was your time at UNT that laid the foundation for global exploration of music history and culture, fueling your extraordinary success in advancement leadership. Molly, you were similarly driven by an aspiration to become a more accomplished vocalist. While your experience at UNT sometimes felt daunting – “a small fish in a big pond” – your time here provided the training, mentorship and performance opportunities that shaped your artistic voice and energized your collegiate teaching career. Together, the two of you have remained deeply connected to UNT through your passion for music and personal growth. You exemplify the enduring impact of alumni who carry their educational experiences into lifelong pursuits. We invite you to consider strengthening your UNT legacy with a planned gift to support future generations of student musicians — those who, like you, arrive with a passion and leave with lifelong purpose powered by education, experience and inspiration.
UNT Gamelan
Where Music Endures | Experiential Based Learning The UNT Division of Music Theory, History and Ethnomusicology gratefully provides transformative experiences through travel, thanks to designated funds from generous donors like yourself. Through immersive learning experiences, be they domestic or international, students build memorable life experiences and gain unparalleled insights into their studies. For many, however, the cost of international travel presents a significant barrier. Your planned gift to expand the Bill Smialek Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology Travel Fund will enable more graduate students to experience life-changing opportunities for professional travel and research, regardless of their financial circumstances.
Where Music Advances | Creating Opportunities “Our faculty have the vision and mentorship experience to shape the next generation of music scholars and educators. What we lack is the financial means to match that potential. With increased funding for graduate fellowships and assistantships, we will not only attract the most promising students but also give them the freedom to focus and thrive. Your investment will empower students to pursue ground-breaking research, share their work in competitive venues and step into meaningful careers without being held back by financial strain. Simply put, better funding transforms talent into lasting impact.” David Heetderks Chair, Division of Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology and Associate Professor of Music Theory
“Our teaching fellows represent some of the highest caliber students in our program. For us to build lifelong relationships with our students and them with the university, we realized that the qualifications needed to be music more than exceeding audition standards. We now require a sample teaching video, a statement of their teaching philosophy, a cover letter including their background in pedagogy and a short interview explaining why they are pursuing this research for their studies. Voice teaching fellows at UNT are given incredible teaching responsibilities and we cannot underscore the importance of not only attracting the best singer, but the best teacher for our students. Having the extra tuition benefit would allow us to increase our pool of potential teaching fellows, ensuring that we have the best possible choices for our teaching fellow positions.” Molly Fillmore Chair, Division of Vocal Studies and Professor of Voice
Where Music Nourishes | An Environment of Belonging Molly, your experience at UNT echoes a sentiment shared by many alumni — the feeling of being a “small fish in a big pond.” While that perspective has been common in the past, it’s one we’re actively working to transform. Under the leadership of Molly Fillmore, and with strong support from Carol Wilson and others, the Division of Vocal Studies is committed to creating a more connected, supportive environment — one where students not only feel seen and valued during their time here but are also inspired to return and give back after graduation. Our goal is that students thrive because of their experience at UNT, not in spite of it. You will help us strengthen that vision by contributing to a fund that supports relationship-building activities and assists students who are facing challenges. Together, we will continue to shape a space where every student feels a sense of belonging, encouragement and lasting community.
Philanthropic Opportunities The Dr. William Smialek MHTE Excellence Fund | $300,000 • Graduate stipend supplement fund • Increase the Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology (MHTE) Endowed Travel Fund • Excellence fund to support the Division of Music History, Theory and Ethnomusicology The Molly McCoy Vocal Studies Excellence Fund | $300,000 • Student Success and Connection Fund • Graduate Stipend Supplement Fund to support teaching fellows and teaching assistants A Note of Thanks Bill and Molly, we are deeply grateful that you would consider a legacy gift to the University of North Texas College of Music. Your generosity and philanthropic spirit will provide countless opportunities for UNT’s talented student musicians to learn, improve and succeed as they orchestrate a bright future.
Thank you for being champions of UNT!
Cherése Bassett-Sowell
Giant Boykin
Executive Director of Development
Development Support Coordinator
940-565-2243
giant.boykin@unt.edu
cherese.bassett@unt.edu
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