The Gift of Music

The Gift of Music

Anne Randolph Henry was a quiet and thoughtful lady who loved her family, her friends and her life in Maine. "Randy," as she was called, also loved the arts ... especially music. "It was part of her life," says Anne Stanley, one of Randy's six children. "She took piano lessons earlier in her life. She would go to the symphony. But with six kids it was hard to pursue it further."

It was her mother's passion for music and the value she placed on higher education that compelled Randy to leave a $1 million bequest to the USM School of Music; the only music school of its kind at a public university in New England. "She wanted to give back to the community," says Stanley. "Because music was an important part of her life, that's the way she chose to do it."

Anne Randolph Henry was born and raised in South Orange, N.J. and attended the Dana Hall School and Hollins College. In 1941, Randy married William Rines and they moved to South Portland where they raised their six children. After her husband's death, Henry decided to complete her college studies. She entered USM and graduated in 1971 with a degree in psychology. One of the iconic images that Anne remembers of her mother is of her as a new graduate.

"She left college to get married," says Anne. "So she went back to USM and got her degree. I can picture her standing there in her cap and gown. It shows what kind of person she was. Education was important to her. She was in her 50's and going back to college. It was ground breaking then. She enjoyed it. It was fun for her to be with a lot of young people."

According to Stanley, it was during her mother's service to the School of Music Advisory Board that the idea of the bequest came to her; she wished to give back to USM in a significant and meaningful way.

"This bequest comes at a critically important time in the 50-plus year history of the school," said School of Music Interim Director Alan Kaschub. "It sends a message that this school matters in terms of educating first-class music performers and educators, and it makes a statement in terms of the school's contributions to the region's vibrant arts community."

According to the stipulations of the family trust established to manage the bequest, three-fifths of the annual payout from the $1 million endowed bequest will fund music scholarships, with the remainder supporting music programming.

"It's a visionary gift," said USM President Theo Kalikow. "It allows us, year after year in perpetuity, to offer scholarships and to enhance the school's programming."

Anne Randolph Henry was a visionary. Her inspired bequest provides abundant evidence of the value she placed on the arts. She understood that they are a fundamental part our social, cultural and economic fabric; that the arts enrich and give meaning to people's lives. And while her gift will directly support the School of Music, her legacy will have a huge ripple effect in the community and beyond. Approximately 200 undergraduate students study at the School of Music, with majors in performance, music education, jazz studies and piano pedagogy. The graduates of the School of Music go on to become performers and educators throughout Maine and the nation. The School of Music is also home to the USM Youth Ensembles, which is often cited as one of the largest and finest such youth music programs of its kind. And each year the community enjoys the more than 100 concerts that are presented each academic year at the School's home in Corthell Hall, Gorham and at venues throughout the region.