Sandra Paschal Polanski 

Sandra was born May 17, 1939 to Noble Rolfe and Mae Sanders Paschal in Grenada, Mississippi. She and fellow graduate student Francis Edward Polanski were married in Ann Arbor, Michigan on June 7, 1963 in the Washtenaw Avenue Presbyterian Church. They later became known for their duo-piano performances and their teaching.

Sandra’s life in music started by her playing childhood nursery tunes on a toy piano. Her maternal grandmother shipped an upright piano to the family and Sandra basically could play anything she wanted to. Her parents recognized the need to be able to read music, resulting in her taking piano lessons all twelve years she was enrolled in the Grenada City Schools. She had a week of organ lessons at Mississippi College during a high school summer music camp; this formal organ training allowed her to play the organ for worship and weddings at First Baptist Church in Grenada.

Sandra attended Mississippi State College for Women, now MUW, and made a lasting contribution there. As a sophomore, she adapted the theme from Brahms Symphony No. I in C Minor, Op. 68, IV. Adagio for use as the 75th Anniversary Song, “Serene as the Dawning.” This song was later adopted as The W’s Alma Mater. She adapted the melody at two places: the end, coming up with a musically effective way to complete the song with a final cadence, which departed from what Brahms had composed, and at the half cadence (“mem’ries forever”). She then wrote a usable manuscript of the words (written by others) and music, transposing it to a higher key than the original.

Sandra held degrees in piano from MUW with Dr. Sigfred Matson as her major professor and from The University of Michigan, where she studied piano with Benning Dexter and Gyorgy Sandor and collaborative piano with Eugene Bossart.

After completing the Master of Music degree in piano performance at The University of Michigan in 1962, Sandra taught class piano there for two years. She taught private piano one year in Kenosha, Wisconsin before moving to Mississippi in 1965 where Frank joined the piano faculty at Millsaps College. Subsequently Sandra taught private piano through the Music Department at Millsaps and one year as full-time music faculty member. Through the years she played for Millsaps Players musicals rehearsals and appeared as piano soloist and collaborator. For twenty-nine years “Mrs. Polanski” taught grades 4-12 piano and theory and chaired the music department at Power Academic and Performing Arts Complex (Power APAC) in the Jackson Public School District. She set rigorous standards that have served those graduates well and educated not only the Jackson community but the world with beautiful music. Her detailed organizational skills afforded her the ability to serve as a sought-after adjudicator and regional and national auditions chair for the Music Teachers National Association, all while maintaining a rigorous public school teaching schedule and private piano studio.

The core of Sandra’s adult life was with Frank, her late husband of sixty years. Their duo-piano work was unplanned. While in graduate school, Frank took a duet to a practice room and they hit it off – and that was the only time they played anything together until they played the Mozart Sonata in D for Two Pianos at a kick-off banquet for Community Concerts in Jackson in 1965. They had 2 weeks' notice for that. Huge audience. Lee Byler had charge of getting the performances for the banquet, and Sandra and Frank were part of that. Sandra talked with Byler and told him they had aspirations of playing two-piano but had never done it. Byler persuaded Sandra that this was too good of an opportunity to pass up, and he excused both of them from attending any faculty meetings until after the performance!

At their first recital in the Christian Center on the Millsaps campus, nobody sat in the middle section between the two aisles! Everybody wanted to see at least one set of hands!! The two-piano thing caught on!

They performed extensively as a two-piano team locally, across the state, and beyond. They were the two-piano “orchestra” for a number of musicals by the Millsaps Players directed by Lance Goss and for Mississippi Opera productions. They were heard on Mississippi Concert Hall of Public Radio in Mississippi, now MPB Radio. Their performances included recitals on the Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series and performances with The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Colman Pearce in duo concerti by Mozart, Poulenc, and Mendelssohn.

In retirement years, through The Chaminade Music Club, Sandra and Frank coordinated and presented monthly interactive programs at the memory care unit at St. Catherine’s Village and recitals at The Orchard Retirement Center. These programs continued with interruptions for COVID and other health concerns until Sandra’s own health failed.

Sandra practiced the piano daily. Her COVID project of twelve Mozart piano sonatas gave her lots of music to play years later while in rehab.

Knowing the value of music and of giving music, she rehearsed regularly with vocal and instrumental ensemble partners toward making music with and for those who need music most.

Sandra is survived by her sister, Patricia P. Eccles (William J.), nephew William N. Eccles (Heidi) and niece Julia Eccles Bellon (Michael), and their children, and several cousins.

Sandra’s family offers their sincere appreciation to Debbie Rankin, Shawn Morgan, Cheryl Coker, the members of Chaminade and other friends and neighbors for their kind concern and care for Sandra, particularly since Frank’s death. The family is also grateful to caregivers of UMMC, The Methodist Rehabilitation Center, The Madison Health and Rehab, and Wisteria Gardens.