Category Archives: FPAC

Reinhardt Creates New School of Performing Arts – the Only One in Georgia

Advancement, Alumni, Current Students, Faculty/Staff, FPAC, From the Stage, Future Students, Home, Media Relations, Music Department, Parent, School of Music, School-AH, School-Business, School-Education, School-MS, School-Music, Visitors

Reinhardt Creates New School of Performing Arts – the Only One in Georgia; Theatre Arts Building in Planning Stages

The Pirates of Penzance

School of Performing Arts students perform the opera The Pirates of Penzance.

Music and theatre have become increasing popular majors at Reinhardt University, so administrators have taken steps to keep the programs prospering.  In September the institution’s Board of Trustees changed the name of the School of Music to the School of Performing Arts, and moved the theatre program into the new school.  Now undergraduate programs in theater, music performance, music education, sacred music, and musical theatre and a master of music are all housed in the School of Performing Arts, the only one of its kind in Georgia, and approximately 180 students are majoring in one or more of these program offerings.

Only University-level School of Performing Arts in Georgia

“The School of the Performing Arts combines our excellent programs in music with the University’s theatre degree program and the new musical theatre degree program,” said Reinhardt President Dr. J. Thomas Isherwood. “It brings together all the University’s performing arts and combines the resources of these programs to further support and encourage them. Reinhardt has a well-earned and growing reputation for the performing arts, and this change further enhances those activities at the University.”

Putting the two popular majors together in one school was a logical step, Dr. Dennis K. McIntire, dean of the School of Performing Arts, said. Musical theatre and theatre “share faculty, staff, students, space and resources,” he said. “It… made sense for them to be together. We had the School of Music, which had established a presence in Georgia. We had the School of Arts & Humanities, but theatre was kind of lost in it. With the School of Performing Arts, they are all on the same plane, together in one place. The new name and combination of programs better describes more fully who we are.”

Being the only School of Performing Arts on the college or university level in all of Georgia makes Reinhardt unique, and the many high school students who attend these type schools can better relate to what Reinhardt offers, McIntire said. Reinhardt graduates will be more well-rounded because they graduated from a school that offers an intensive focus in both music and theatre.

An Intensive Professional-Style Training Program

Reinhardt’s theatre program, an intensive professional-style training program within a liberal arts setting, began in 2010, and already its students are getting noticed in the theatre ranks.  At the 2012 Georgia Theatre Conference auditions, five Reinhardt theatre students made it to the state auditions and were in the top 10% of all those who auditioned. Kate Johnson, then a senior from Canton, Ga., had the highest competitive score of the entire conference.

“The theatre program is extremely excited to be a part of the School of Performing Arts,” said David Nisbet, assistant professor of theatre. “With the move, we have higher visibility and more access to the fine arts infrastructure. I expect the theatre program will begin to attract better and better talent, produce more and larger shows and become a force in the Southeast as far as theatre training programs.”

“Arts Triangle”

Currently theatre and musical theatre productions are held each semester in the Falany Performing Arts Center Concert Hall or in the Hoke O’Kelley Auditorium in the Burgess Administration Building on Reinhardt’s main campus in Waleska, Ga., but a new Theatre Arts Center is under development. Once funds are raised, plans finalized, and the theatre is constructed, it will complete an “arts triangle” that also includes the Falany Performing Arts Center and the Fincher Visual Arts Center around Lake Mullenix.

“Our mantra has been ‘a conservatory style training program in a small liberal arts setting,’” said Nisbet. “With the building of the new theatre facility, the students will have more opportunities to train, both in acting and technical theatre. The space will provide a comfortable place to study and for an audience to attend exciting productions!”

Up Next?

The next performance slated for the Reinhardt Theatre and Musical Theatre program is “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, which will be directed by Dr. Kevin Crawford, assistant professor of English and theatre. Follow the Reinhardt University Theatre Program and Falany Performing Arts Center pages on Facebook, or visit www.reinhardt.edu/FPAC to keep up-to-date on all School of Performing Arts productions.

Theatre Students Take Top Honors at Theatre Conference

Advancement, Alumni, Career Services, Current Students, Faculty/Staff, FPAC, Future Students, Home, Media Relations, Parent, School of Music, School-AH

Theatre Students Take Top Honors at Recent Theatre Conference; Headed to State Competition

“To be, or not to be”…it’s not a question for a select group of Reinhardt students. They choose “to be” a part of the University’s growing and flourishing theatre program, and they are “acting” upon the benefits.

Reinhardt Theatre StudentsAt the recent Georgia Theatre Conference in Americus, Ga., 10 Reinhardt students competed with a field of 174 college and university students for a chance to audition at the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC) next March in Louisville, Ky. Five Reinhardt students made the cut: (from right-left) Sophie Decker, a junior from Conyers, Ga.; Levi Penley, a junior from Social Circle, Ga.; Troy Stephens, a senior from Kingsland, Ga.; Koby Parker, a senior from Douglasville, Ga.; and Kate Johnson, a junior from Canton, Ga., who had the highest competitive score of the entire conference.

Top 10% in Competition

“Kate Johnson’s score was the highest at the GTC—meaning in the entire state of Georgia!” said David Nisbet, assistant professor of theatre. “All the Reinhardt students that were passed on to SETCs scored in the top 10% at GTC. I think this is exciting news for the theatre/music program at Reinhardt!”

GTC Background

GTC is the Georgia branch of SETC (Southeastern theatre conference). SETC culminates in professional theatres attending and auditioning college students, usually for summer theatre work. To advance to SETC auditions, you must attend and audition at GTC and receive a high enough score to move on. Students are judged on talent and presentation, and are allowed to do a monologue and song (90 seconds) or a monologue (60 seconds).

“It’s an invaluable experience!”

“Our students participate in GTC and SETC for a variety of reasons,” said Nisbet. “They can attend the many learning workshops presented by professionals and top professors in theatre, they have the opportunity to network with professionals and their own peers, and they get preparation for the audition process they will experience in major markets. It’s an invaluable experience for all theatre students.”

Theatre Program Background

Reinhardt’s theatre program is designed to be an intensive professional-style training program, within a liberal arts setting. A Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre are offered through the program. The program’s first theatrical production of the year, Almost, Maine, was November 2-4, 2012.

For more information, please contact Nisbet at 770-720-5860 or reinhardttheatre@gmail.com, or visit Reinhardt University Theatre Program on Facebook.

Reinhardt CMTNA Hosts Indoor Yard Sale on Sept. 15, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Alumni, Current Students, Faculty/Staff, FPAC, Home, Media Relations, Music Department, Music Department Faculty, Music Department Student, Parent, School of Music, School-MS, Visitors

Reinhardt CMTNA Hosts Indoor Yard Sale on Sept. 15, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Reinhardt University Collegiate Chapter of Music Teachers National Association (CMTNA) will sponsor an indoor yard sale on Sept. 15, 2012 from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., in the Falany Performing Arts Center on Reinhardt’s campus in Waleska, Ga. Hundreds of items including furniture, clothing, jewelry, shoes, books, records, linens, domestic and decorative items will be sold at “ridiculously low prices!” Items are donated by Reinhardt students, faculty and staff, and community members. 

Proceeds Support CMTNA Representation at State Conference

“We want to sell everything,” said Christopher Lawhorne, co-president for the Reinhardt chapter. “If you see something you want and the price is too high, make an offer.

“The purpose of the yard sale is to raise funds for the music students to attend the Georgia Music Teachers Association State Conference at Young Harris College in November and for service projects and concert attendance planned throughout the year,” continued Lawthorne. “The more funds we can raise, the more students we can send to represent Reinhardt at the State Conference. Please come out and support our chapter!”

Active on Campus

The Reinhardt chapter is a featured Collegiate Chapter on the MTNA website and is very active on the campus and in the community. The chapter’s other events and philanthropic activities include performing an annual comedy recital, filling shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, performing and visiting at nursing homes, sponsoring a year-end cookout for all music majors and music faculty, and attending off-campus concerts and music events.

To Donate:

If you have something you would like to donate for Reinhardt’s CMTNA yard sale, please contact Susan Naylor, associate professor of music and chapter advisor, at 770-720-5560. 

Meridian Herald Presents Higher Ground Camp Meeting Service at Reinhardt on Sept. 29

Alumni, Current Students, Faculty/Staff, FPAC, Home, Media Relations, Music Department, School-AH, School-Music, Visitors

Reinhardt Concert Choir to also Perform

Meridian Herald Presents Higher Ground: Camp Meeting Service in the Falany Performing Arts Center on Sept. 29, 2012

Meridian Herald to sing for Camp Meeting at Reinhardt University on Sept. 29, 2012. Everyone welcome!Meridian Herald will present its 15th annual Higher Ground: Camp Meeting Service on Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, at 4 p.m. in the Falany Performing Arts Center on the campus of Reinhardt University in Waleska, Ga. The camp meeting will feature old-time preaching, prayer, and singing. A lecture about camp meetings by Dr. E. Brooks Holifield will begin at 2 p.m., and will be followed by a panel discussion. Special music will begin at 3:30 pm. After the camp meeting, attendees will enjoy warm fellowship and refreshments in the Center’s Ken White Atrium. Admission is free for all events, and an offering will be taken during the camp meeting.  Everyone is welcome.

Lecture at 2 p.m.: “The Camp Meeting in American Culture” by Candler Professor of American Church History Emeritus at Emory University Dr. E. Brooks Holifield

Candler Professor of American Church History Emeritus at Emory University Dr. E. Brooks Holifield will preach for the camp meeting.  A renowned scholar and compelling preacher, he speaks the language of the South with prophetic strength. Prior to the camp meeting, he will also give a lecture, “The Camp Meeting in American Culture,” followed by an academic panel discussion at 2 p.m. in Room 132 of the Falany Performing Arts Center.

Special Music at 3:30 p.m.

The camp meeting will be preceded by 30 minutes of music, including time-honored gospel hymns, camp meeting spirituals and choral arrangements of classic hymns sung by the Meridian Chorale and soloists, conducted by Dr. Steven Darsey.

Camp Meeting at 4 p.m.

Camp meetings began in the 19th century South, when farmers, after the crops were laid by, would go “camping” with their families and friends for a week or more. The days and evenings were filled with fiery preaching and impassioned singing.  Camp meetings spread throughout the South and became an integral part of the region’s cultural and spiritual traditions. Many camp meetings continue today, and the participants look forward with loving devotion to the familial, social and spiritual renewal of their annual camp meetings.

“Some of the songs we sing have been passed down orally, virtually unchanged from the Great Awakening of the early 19th century,” Darsey said.  “The loving devotion with which generations of frontier folk sang these songs renders them ‘doubly sacred’ to us today. In our times of financial and social turmoil, this service of hallowed spiritual traditions invites our return to the tried and true and to our renewed faith in God’s providence. On this foundation, may we proceed with confidence through the challenges ahead.”

Reinhardt’s Concert Choir will also perform two selections.  As the institution’s primary choral performing ensemble for more than 30 years, the Concert Choir has long been a popular ambassador for the University.  With more than 90 voices, their repertoire rangers from the Renaissance to the best of today’s contemporary anthem literature. 

More on Meridian Herald

Meridian Herald creates concerts and services built on musical, literary and religious traditions of the South. Founded by Dr. Steven Darsey in 1997 and reflecting his unique vision, the Meridian Chorale, including some of the region’s finest singers, performs repertoire of aesthetic and moral purpose. The 2011 season brought a sold-out performance of African American concert music at Emory’s Schwartz Center with the Meridian Chorale and the Morehouse Glee Club and more than 500 children singing at Atlanta Symphony Hall.  Through inspiring concerts and transforming services, Meridian Herald has become a vital cultural voice in the South.

Parking and directions

Waleska, Ga., is about 45 minutes northwest of Atlanta and easily accessible from I-75 and I-575.  Free parking is available adjacent to the Center and on the Reinhardt campus. For directions >



School of Music Announces National String Project Classes for Elementary School-Age Children

Advancement, Alumni, Current Students, Faculty/Staff, FPAC, Home, Media Relations, Music Department, Parent, School-Music, Visitors

School of Music Announces National String Project Classes for Elementary School-Age Children

string project

A young violinist performs during the spring 2012 Reinhardt String Project concert.

It will be a string duet at Reinhardt University for fall 2012- spring 2013 as beginner music students learn from undergraduate musicians training to be music teachers. The School of Music at Reinhardt will offer National String Project classes for children in fourth and fifth grades for the second year in a row. Instruction is offered for violin, viola or cello.

“The main purpose of the National String Project is to develop interest in string music education, which will result in the development of children’s orchestras in the local area,” said Dr. Dennis McIntire, dean of the School of Music. “The Project at Reinhardt began in January 2011, and we have had such an overwhelming and positive response since then for children wanting to enter the program.”

NSPC Background

The National String Project Consortium (NSPC) is a coalition of String Project sites based at colleges and universities across the United States. The NSPC is dedicated to increasing the number of children playing stringed instruments, and addressing the critical shortage of string teachers in the US. The NSPC is affiliated with businesses, foundations, professional music organizations, and individuals who support these goals.

Class Schedule

Classes begin on Tuesday, August 28, 2012, in the Falany Performing Arts Center on Reinhardt’s campus in Waleska, Ga. The elementary students will have a master class from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and an orchestra rehearsal from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays. The final day of class for the semester will be Tuesday, April 24th.

“Making a difference in our community.”

“I wanted to get involved with the String Project because I have been wanting to get experience teaching music to children, and because I think it is a fantastic program that could make a difference in our community,” said Grace Laminack ’12, a student instructor this past year. “I enjoyed showing the young students all about music and seeing how they progressed and learned to love music!”

Register today!

Tuition for the semester is $45 for the elementary class and may be paid at the first class meeting. To obtain an application or receive more information, please contact String Project Director Dr. Ulisses Silva or Anna Ragan, administrative assistant to the School of Music faculty, at AMR@reinhardt.edu or 770-720-9172.