About Us
We love what we do!
The performers of Taps 'n Tunes are all volunteers, some who have full-time jobs; some are retirees. Members take time to entertain at nursing homes, senior retirement and care centers, churches, art venues and others throughout the Metroplex. Our focus remains, through live performance, to address the problem of senior isolation and to honor US military veterans.
Become a virtual entertainer
Thank you to all of our North Texas Giving Day donors. We appreciate your support. You've helped us sustain our efforts intended to address senior isolation and honor our veterans, and we THANK YOU!
This is our story
Established in 1985, Tex’s Tip Top Tappers, a local dance group, was founded by professional Vaudevillian Clyde "Tex" Eddelman. His efforts were meant to preserve Broadway-style performance. When he retired, he turned director duties over to Annette Marsh, one of his top performers.
Annette led the group as it became a band of singers and dancers, providing community service, while honing their skills and having fun. She sought, in 1989, to secure for Taps ‘n Tunes Productions a non-profit 501 c 3 tax-exempt status. Under her direction, Taps 'n Tunes performed at numerous facilities including the Scott Theater, Bass Hall, The Palace Theater and Hurst Conference Center to bring entertainment to military veterans and seniors of local communities.
The organization is made up of volunteer performers that range in age from 46 to 76.
Annette worked tirelessly through the years, hitting the 25-year mark in 2005. During these years, she was honored for her many accomplishments and her outstanding leadership in the community through her volunteer work.
After 33 years of service, in 2018, Annette handed the reigns of Taps ‘n Tunes over to Frances Lea. A native of Fort Worth, Frances is a graduate of TCU with a BFA in ballet and theater under a Norton Scholarship.
Our Director - Joy Guthmiller
Joy Guthmiller has been named the new Artistic Director of Taps 'n Tunes.
Guthmiller was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. She grew in love with dance when she began taking ballet at the age of seven. At 16, she suffered a knee injury and was told her dancing dreams would have to come to an end.
In 1990, when her daughter was three, she enrolled her at the Frances Lea Dance Center. There she was introduced to Frances Lea, owner and ex-Broadway performer. Lea convinced Guthmiller to begin dancing again. A whole new world opened to Guthmiller. Along with ballet classes, Lea taught Guthmiller many other styles of dance including tap, jazz and clogging.
With their growing friendship of Lea and Guthmiller, which spans 35 years, Guthmiller soon became the face of the Frances Lea Dance Center. Her involvement began as a substitute dance teacher, then to office manager, next to costume coordinator and finally to backstage manager for shows.
Soon, as often as she could, Guthmiller began making trips to New York City for extra dance training. Ms. Joy believes every day is a learning experience, and she continues learning all about dance. She has taken on-line courses earning a Certificate in Children’s Dance Education.
With the help and encouragement of Lea, Guthmiller took ownership of the Frances Lea Dance Center and has sustained the variety of classes for every age.
“You are never too old or too young to start loving dance” has been her motto in life.
Guthmiller says she is very excited about her new position as Artistic Director of Taps n Tunes Productions and plans to continue the group’s long-standing tradition of performing for seniors and military veterans.
