Keeping you plugged into the exciting things happening with Performing Arts
Published August 6, 2023
Volume 181
Tim Hurt - Performing Arts Director
A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOr
Welcome back TCS Arts families! We have so many exciting places for your student to plug in, and can’t wait to get started!! Our Performing Arts community continues to grow and evolve, and we love to continue to build on this from year to year!!!
New to 2023-24 are a few staff members. We would like to introduce Katie Palmer, who will be helping in our Middle School Band rehearsals and also with the Marching Lions. We would also like to introduce Jason and Stacie Moore. Jason is the new Executive Pastor for Trinity Church, and he and Stacie will be helping us with High School Chapel worship and student vocals in a variety of ways. And Stacie will be helping with the administration of the Performing Arts program as a whole. Welcome Katie, Jason and Stacie!!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Want to stay informed? Check back here weekly for upcoming events including concerts, shows, trips and more…
August 14-18 - Theatre Audition Week
September 9 - LeadCon 1 - Thespians
September 22 - Marching Lions Band Night
September 26 - Coweta County Marching Band Expo
October 12-14 - HS One Act Performances
October 26 - HS One Act Region Competition
November 2, 4, 5 - MS Musical Performances
November 10-11 - Elementary Drama Club Performances
November 30 - December 2 - HS Theatre 2nd Stage Performances
December 2 - MS Band All State Audition
December 4 - 4th Grade Recorders Christmas Concert
December 4 - Orchestra Christmas Concert
December 5 - Band Christmas Concert
December 7 - Chorus Christmas Concert
December 9 - All State Band Auditions (HS)
December 12 - Dance Club Recital
NOW ENROLLING - SIGN UP TODAY!!
To enhance the Performing Arts experience at Trinity Christian School, we offer the opportunity for private instruction, with a growing number of vocal and instrumental options. We have several new offerings this year, including clarinet, voice, and even harp. Our programs offer instruction at various levels to include those who are newly discovering their musical talents, as well as those who have been refining their art for years. Interested in private instruction? This is the place for you!
Here is a list of our current instructors.
Stacee Adams - Piano - staceeadams@gmail.com
Jason Christian - Guitar - thebirdsongstudios@gmail.com
Meagan Dixon - Clarinet, Voice - meaganschlabach@gmail.com
Terri Ingram - Horn, Piano - terri.ingram.music@gmail.com
Monica Lee - Voice, Piano - monicalee396@gmail.com
Sharissa Manwaring - Violin - sharissa.manwaring@tcslions.org
Bill Melton - Low Brass - bill.melton@tcslions.org
Katie Palmer - Trumpet - katierollspalmer@gmail.com
Lizzie Perez - Theatre, Voice - lizzie.perez@tcslions.org
Natalie Pinson - Violin - natalie.pinson@tcslions.org
Caleb Ramirez - Piano - calram21@gmail.com
Cathy Settle - Piano, Voice - cathy.settle@tcslions.org
Elisabeth Veal - Harp - deb1392@gmail.com
Nathanael Woodruff - Guitar, Piano - grassfedpower3@gmail.com
For information regarding private music lessons, please contact one of the above instructors or visit https://tcslions.org/arts-academy.
To register, please contact performingarts@tcslions.org. All private music lessons are taught on the TCS campus, and are scheduled on an individual basis. We can’t wait to get you started!!
ELECTIVES AT TCS
We offer electives in the Performing Arts in a variety of areas, starting in the 4th grade. Often families will ask when these electives are offered, and how their student can get involved. Visit tcslions.org/arts-electives for details about all of these offerings, including which grades they become available to the Trinity student.
Email tim.hurt@tcslions.org if you would like to inquire about enrolling your student in an Arts elective for the upcoming school year.
ALL THINGS THEATRE
THEATRE INTEREST MEETING FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS
OPEN TO 1st GRADE through 12th GRADE
Monday, August 14th at 6pm
With so much happening in this growing department, our team wanted to have a time for ALL Theatre families to come together and learn how to get involved in Theatre at TCS throughout your student’s time here.
We will start with Elementary and work our way up to High School. Younger families will be dismissed as info no longer pertains to them.
For questions about this, please reach out to Mrs. Lizzie Perez (HS and Elementary focus) at lizzie.perez@tcslions.org or Mrs. Emily Litton (MS focus) at emily.litton@tcslions.org.
DRAMA CLUB for 1st-5th GRADERS IS BACK!!
CLUB INFO, DATES, and TIMES
Cost $200
1st and 2nd Grade (cap of 35 students)
•Directed by Mrs. Emily Litton and supported with Drama Club Team•
They will meet Mondays from 3-5pm and work on building a strong foundation in acting, singing, and dancing. They will work towards learning a variety of songs based on a theme and explore the stage in big and small group numbers (with some solo moments)!
3rd-5th Grade (cap of 35 students)
•Directed by Mrs. Amber Poelman, Assisted by Mrs. Lizzie Perez and supported with Drama Club Team•
They will meet Thursdays from 3-5pm and develop their skills in acting, singing, and dancing as they learn a 30 minute show. We are excited to announce they will be presenting the musical, Magic Treehouse: Pirates Past Noon! This sweet tale is all about the race to find the precious treasure, only to realize the best and most lasting treasure is friendship.
Performances will be Friday, November 10th and Saturday, November 11th with our students presenting two acts: Act One: 1st-2nd Grades and Act Two: 3rd-5th Grades, giving both age groups THREE CHANCES to perform their productions.
**NOTE FOR SPRING: 1st-5th Grade will perform a 30-40 min show in the Spring. Priority for registration will be given to those 1st-2nd Graders that participate in the Fall and then accepted on a case by case basis, only to ensure there is a strong foundation for all actors in the Spring Production!
For questions about Drama Club, please contact Mrs. Lizzie Perez at lizzie.perez@tcslions.org
AUDITION WEEK DETAILS FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
MONDAY, Aug 14th - Theatre Interest Meeting for 1st-12th Theatre - 6pm
Join us for a time of fellowship for all Theatre families 1st-12th grade.
We will talk through each age group and ways that we can all support and grow together! As we walk from Elementary up to Middle and High School, grades will be dismissed when information is no longer relevant.
TUESDAY, Aug 15th - MIDDLE SCHOOL AUDITION WORKSHOP - 6-7pm
Middle School students will have a chance to work with Mrs. Litton and team on audition content BEFORE auditions start. Get feedback on your audition AND practice reading from the script, singing, and learning choreography. Attendance is optional, but extremely encouraged for students to feel more comfortable! Sign ups available soon!
WEDNESDAY, Aug 16th - Middle and High School Auditions - 3:30-5:30pm
Students will sign up for a 1.5 hour slot where they will:
-read from a script with other students
-learn a short dance combo
-sing a one minute musical theatre song that represents them (prepared in advance)
To sign up for a time slot, click this link: https://forms.gle/2hTscA7TvUa138iH6
For questions about Middle School please email Mrs. Litton at emily.litton@tcslions.org
For questions about High School please email Mrs. Perez at lizzie.perez@tcslions.org
THURSDAY, Aug 17th - Middle and High School Auditions - 3:30-8:30pm
Students will sign up for a 1.5 hour slot where they will:
-read from a script with other students
-learn a short dance combo
-sing a one minute musical theatre song that represents them (prepared in advance)
To sign up for a time slot, click this link: https://forms.gle/2hTscA7TvUa138iH6
For questions about Middle School please email Mrs. Litton at emily.litton@tcslions.org
For questions about High School please email Mrs. Perez at lizzie.perez@tcslions.org
CALL BACKS FOR INDIVIDUAL SHOWS/EVENTS WILL BE THE WEEK OF AUG 20th.
Students will be notified if they are needed for call backs.
HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE - EARLY MORNING WORKOUTS
As we continue to grow as performers and technicians, we want to look for ways to continue to learn, try new things, and master techniques. This year, we are offering “morning workouts” where High School students can attend before school to stretch their theatre muscles.
We will be releasing a calendar monthly, but days will vary based on skills, upcoming events, and more. At times, we will have guest teachers, and students will be able to take advantage of experts in this field!
Workouts are week days from 7:30-8am in Room 502.
GO WEEK - AUSTRIA
We are planning a GO Week trip to Vienna and Salzburg, Austria for GO Week 2024. This will be Performing Arts and Missions focused, which is why it is listed here in the Performing Arts section. We are beginning to promote the general details of this trip, as we know many of you will be quite interested. We will tour Vienna and the life of Mozart, Salzburg where Mozart was born and The Sound of Music was filmed, and also partner with local churches for some missions work.
At this time all we need is your name to go on our list of those interested. We do not have the specifics yet, including cost, but as an international trip it will be one of the more expensive GO Week trips. Full details will go out some time in August with the rest of the GO Week trips, we are simply creating an interest list at this time.
Please email tim.hurt@tcslions.org to let us know your interest and get on our list.
INSTRUMENT REPAIR
We use Big Note Music for on site repair of many of our musical instruments. If you have an instrument that needs repair as the school year begins, this may be a great option for you. The process works with you filling out an online form, pre-paying for the repair, and then they come for a scheduled repair session right on our Trinity campus. Your student wouldn’t be away from their instrument except when it’s on the repair table. This convenient option has worked for us for a few years now. Simply fill out the online form and let us know that a repair has been scheduled.
Online Link to Schedule a Repair: https://bignotemusic.com/product/schedule-repair/
MEET THE STAFF
We want to get to know each of our Arts families throughout the year. And we would love for you to get to know us as well. Here is a snapshot of your directors for the 2023-24 school year.
Tim Hurt grew up in Long Island, NY, getting his hands on anything and everything in the Arts he could. He enjoyed Band, Orchestra, Theatre and Chorus, and decided to pursue a career in music. He attended the University of Miami, Coral Gables, and has a degree in Music Education with Jazz Emphasis. Upon graduation, Tim served in full time ministry as a Worship Pastor for 20 years, before joining the Trinity staff to lead the Arts Department and serve in the Band Room. He is also the Worship Pastor for Trinity Church, combining both church and school as he ministers in the Arts world. Tim has been the Performing Arts Director at TCS since 2015.
Tim is passionate about challenging and inspiring students in the Arts and in their faith. He has been married to Charlotte for 24 years,, and they have three children, Sarah, Samuel and Sophia. In his free time, he enjoys golf and working in the yard.
Chris Litton serves as the Director of Live Media & School Productions at Trinity Christian School. He teaches Live Media Production, a class that provides instruction and practical application for students to learn the basics of audio production for live music, and also a new elective offering, Film/Broadcast Production. Chris also serves as the Technical Director for the TCS Drama department. He has been at Trinity since the spring of 2021, and has a degree in Broadcasting with a focus on Radio. Chris has been working professionally in the broadcast/audio engineering field since 2013. His credentials include sports broadcasting for the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network, freelance voice over work, A1 Audio Engineering for live events around Atlanta, and recently was a top 3 candidate of 500 applicants to become the Atlanta Braves Public Address Announcer. Chris loves bringing his experiences to the classroom to pour into the next generation. Chris has been married to his wonderful wife Emily for 11 Years. Emily is also part of the Performing Arts team at TCS. They have a daughter named Ellie who is in Pre-K at TCS.
Emily Litton has dedicated her career to inspiring young minds through Performing Arts. Currently serving as the Early Learning Creative Arts and Middle School Theatre Director at Trinity, Litton has a passion for fostering creativity and self-expression in her students, and instilling a love for the Arts in each of them, helping them to develop the skills and confidence they need to succeed both on and off the stage.
Litton's love for theatre can be traced back to her childhood, where she was involved in numerous productions and performances. Her extensive experience has given her a unique perspective on the art form, which she brings to her work as a theatre educator. In 2009, Litton was part of the first graduating class of Trinity Christian School, and she is proud to be a part of the school's legacy.
Sharissa Manwaring has been enjoying music since she started playing the piano at age 3 and violin at age 5. In college she minored in music and decided to focus on violin as her principal instrument. She has been involved with music through teaching, performing, and worshiping with her violin most of her adult life.
Her musical journey with Trinity started with her volunteering in the String Orchestra classes for several years. In 2020 she started co-teaching the High School Chamber Group, our combined band and orchestra class. March 2022 she moved into the Orchestra Director role, teaching 4th, 5th and Middle School Strings as well as the High School class. She loves her job and often says she has the best job in the world because she gets to “make music with amazing kids!” Her goals are to help students realize music is worth working for, and for them to have fun along the way!
Sharissa is married to Philip, and they have high school age twins, both who enjoy the Arts. She is also an artist, painting with oils, acrylics, and watercolor, and enjoys traveling overseas, reading, arranging flowers, baking yummy gluten free desserts, and loving on her sweet Russian Blue cat, Lexie.
Bill Melton holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Education degrees from Columbus State University and an Educational Specialist degree in Instructional Technology from the University of West Georgia. He has served as a band director and music educator for the last 38 years, serving 27 of these years as the director of bands at Whitewater Middle School in Fayetteville, Georgia. Bill retired from public school teaching in 2017 and started teaching at Trinity Christian School in September 2020. He is currently the 5th Grade Band Director.
Bill’s bands have been selected to perform throughout the southeastern United States and performed for notable individuals such as Chick-Fil-A founder Truett Cathy, and former congressman Newt Gingrich. He is currently an active private lesson instructor, composer, music evaluation judge and school instrumental band clinician. His students have participated in District Honor Band, Georgia All-State Band, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony and the Governor’s Honors program.
Bill has been married to Tammy for 37 years. Bill and Tammy have two adult children, Amy, a Doctoral student at the University of Texas, Austin and Amber, an Occupational Therapist in Atlanta, Georgia.
Stacie Moore has been working in church worship & arts ministry for 28 years, alongside her husband Jason. She has served specifically in the area of Middle and High School Fine Arts. She is passionate about investing in students so they may discover, develop and deploy their gifts for Jesus.
Stacie comes to us at Trinity serving our High School Chapel Worship students, and also assisting with Arts Administration for the department. Stacie has 4 children, Caleb (20), Chaim (18), Caden (18) and Keira (15). When not serving in ministry, she is on the hunt for the best tacos and salsa.
Katie Palmer is an accomplished trumpet player and has had the opportunity to play with several notable organizations throughout her career. She studied Music Education at Kennesaw State University and performed in wind ensembles at Carnegie Hall and Midwest Band Clinic. She has played with several different brass ensembles for major events such as a Georgia Governor event, major holiday events for churches in the Atlanta area and more. She studied under several principal Atlanta symphony trumpet players throughout her years, and has taught trumpet lessons for over 6 years before taking a break and becoming a full time mom and missionary.
Katie will be assisting our Middle School Band and also working with our Marching Lions. Her passion for music and teaching has never left and she looks forward to coming alongside your students to help them love music, dedication and hard work just as much as she does.
Lizzie Perez is honored to serve the Roaring Dramatics and TCS family as our Theatre Director! She has lived and worked in Film/TV and Theatre in Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and the Athens area. Throughout her career, she has had the incredible opportunity to create experiences and tell stories in many different mediums. Community Theatre credits include The Addams Family (Director), Mary Poppins (Director), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Narrator), Tuck Everlasting (Mae Tuck), The Little Mermaid (Ursula) and more. Professional credits include The Middle (NBC), Nunsense (Crown City Theater), and various background roles.
Early in her career, she had the privilege of working with WinShape Camps for Communities developing, creating, and producing all elements of experience from large group production, graphic design, and curriculum. Her husband, AB, enjoys helping with her productions and they also lead worship together and are working towards an album. Lizzie is a graduate of Southeastern University (BA Theatre).
Cathy Settle has been teaching in Christian Education since 1995. After college, she began teaching at Grace Christian School in Columbus,Georgia. In 1997, she and her husband Jason decided it was best for her to stay home as they began to have a family. Over the next 15 years, as she and Jason raised their six children, she assisted in many areas of the music departments in the church and school ministries where they served. She served as the church pianist during that time as well as Director of Special Music and Children’s Programs. In 2012, she went back to teaching full time at Pleasant View Christian School in Pleasant View, TN, .where she remained until she came to Trinity in 2017. She serves here as our Elementary Music Teacher and Upper Elementary and Middle School Chorus Director. Mrs. Settle’s desire is to instill in young hearts and minds a love for Jesus and music that will carry on throughout their lives.