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Germantown community to honor Dr. Sandra Franks

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On March 25 at 7:30 p.m., Germantown Presbyterian Church will host a gala concert in the sanctuary honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Sandra Franks.
For those unable to attend in person, the concert will be livestreamed on GPC’s Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/GermantownPres.
The National Association of Teachers of Singing’s Mid-South Region is sponsoring this concert; at the time of her death last April, Dr. Franks was serving as the Memphis Chapter President. No admission will be charged, but donations will be requested to establish the Sandra Franks Award for an Outstanding High School Singer, which will be given annually at the Mid-South Region Audition finals. You can also donate on the NATS website: (https://www.nats.org/cgi/page.cgi/_article.html/What_s_New/Concert_will_establish_the_Sandra_Franks_Award_for_the_Mid-South_Region).
Dr. Franks served as a member of the faculty of the University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music and an Adjunct Professor of Voice at Rhodes College. She served professionally as Treasurer and President of the Memphis Chapter of NATS, a presenter at The Voice Foundation’s Symposium on the Care of the Professional Voice, and a contributor to the book The Larynx, edited by Robert H. Ossoff.
She maintained a private voice studio where she taught hundreds of students with diverse musical styles throughout the years. During summers she worked with young singers as vocal coach and director in the Opera Memphis Conservatory program.
As a Singing Voice Specialist and Vocal Pedagogue, Dr. Franks specialized in the care of the professional voice. She joined the Voice Team in the office of Jan H. Petri, MD/Voice Care Associates in 1996, assisted several local physicians in the diagnosis of voice patients, and directed research projects, seminars, and masterclasses throughout the Southeast.
Dr. Franks earned a Bachelor of Music from the University of Mississippi, a Master of Music from Louisiana State University, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from The University of Mississippi where her concentration was vocal pedagogy. Her beautiful soprano voice was heard regularly throughout the Mid-South area. She performed as a soloist with Opera Memphis, the Oxford Community Chorus, the Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble, the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale, Germantown Presbyterian Church, and as a recitalist with the Memphis Chamber Music Society.
For more information about online and onsite worship and programs, check out the Germantown Presbyterian Church website: https://GermantownPres.org/.
n Franks, 51, succumbed to pancreatic cancer at her home in Cordova on April 12, 2021, with her husband at her bedside and son nearby.
She is survived by husband Paul Woodie Whited III, son Johnathan Carter Whited, mother Betty Jean (Long) Franks of Saltillo, MS, brother John Michael Franks (Johnette Bramlett) of Saltillo, niece Leah Brooke Franks (Bailey Davis and Ella) of Phillip, MS, stepbrother Steve Sprinkle (Beth) of Saltillo, and stepsister Stephanie Gooch (John) of Saltillo. She was preceded in death by her father Junior Dean Franks of Saltillo, grandparents Aaron and Vadis Franks of Mantachie, MS, and Leland and Mabel Long of Saltillo, and stepfather Wayne E. Sprinkle of Saltillo.
Sandy was born July 25, 1969, in Tupelo, Mississippi, the eldest child of Junior and Betty Jean Franks. She grew up in Saltillo, Mississippi, and had a passion for singing her whole life. She was in the youth choir and youth ensemble and was always ready to sing solos at church. It was clear to her, even at an early age, that music would be her life’s work.
After graduating with honors from Saltillo High School, she attended The University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree. She continued her education at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, completing a Master of Music, and then a Doctorate of Musical Arts from The University of Mississippi where her concentration was vocal pedagogy.
Sandy and Woodie met while she was a doctoral student. They both sang at First Presbyterian Church in Oxford, Mississippi, and their first date was lunch at McAlister’s one Sunday after church. They had only been dating for a week when Woodie started introducing her to friends as “the girl I’m going to marry.” Shortly after she graduated, they were.
The couple relocated to Memphis where Sandy joined the faculty of The University of Memphis Rudi E. Scheidt School of Music, teaching voice and undergraduate and graduate vocal pedagogy. Afterward, and for the past fourteen years, she has been an Adjunct Professor of Voice at Rhodes College.
As a Singing Voice Specialist and Vocal Pedagogue, Sandy specialized in the care of the professional voice. She joined the Voice Team in the office of Jan H. Petri, M.D. / Voice Care Associates in 1996, has assisted several local physicians in the diagnosis of voice patients, and has directed research projects, seminars, and masterclasses throughout the Southeast.
Her beautiful soprano voice was heard regularly throughout the Mid-South area. She performed as a soloist with Opera Memphis, the Oxford Community Chorus, the Memphis Vocal Arts Ensemble, the Rhodes MasterSingers Chorale, Germantown Presbyterian Church, and as a recitalist with the Memphis Chamber Music Society.
Her last public solo was an acapella version of Sweet Little Jesus Boy, her crystal-clear voice pouring out over a church sanctuary that was otherwise perfectly silent and perfectly still.
Sandy maintained a private voice studio where she taught hundreds of students with diverse musical styles through the years, some of whom went on to pursue careers in musical performance.
Her singing voice was just one of her amazing talents. She had a way about her that drew people to her. She had a beautiful smile and a warm personality that made people want to be her friend. She was so easy to love, and she made those around her feel like they were the most important people in the world to her.
She served professionally as Treasurer and current President of the Memphis chapter of NATS, a presenter at The Voice Foundation’s Symposium on the Care of the Professional Voice, and a contributor to the book The Larynx, edited by Robert H. Ossoff.
She served her community, spending a portion of ten summers working with young singers as vocal coach and director in the Opera Memphis Conservatory program.
She served her church as Coordinator of Children’s Choirs at Germantown Presbyterian Church for more than a decade, and as a choir member, soloist, and choir assistant there for twenty-five years.
She enjoyed traveling with her family, shopping with her niece whom she regarded like a daughter and baseball games with friends. But more than anything she loved her family. They remained her first concern even as her health was failing.
Sandy was suffering and now is at rest. We will so miss all that she has shared with us through the years, but she leaves behind a rich legacy of teachers, singers, young Christians, family, and friends. She was as grateful for you as we are grateful for her.
A Service of Remembrance will be held at Germantown Presbyterian Church on Wednesday, April 21, 2021, at 2:00 p.m., and livestreamed at germantownpres.org. Due to Covid restrictions, seating space is limited and may be reserved at that same website.
Memorials can be made in her memory to the Germantown Presbyterian Church Music Fund.

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