Music and art have always been a part of Sharon’s life since growing up in Oregon in a close-knit musical family with an artist father.

She had just retired from the excitement of teaching primary kiddos for 30 years when she and her husband David attended the CFCArts Welcome to the 60s show nine years ago. She was looking for a new avenue to create with others and share the joy and wellness found through involvement in the arts. Immediately, she knew she needed to become a part of the organization in any and every way she could. Beginning with the Community Choir, she became a volunteer with Musical Minds from its first day and has been a member of Narrators since it began as a small acting/improv group.

When she’s not at a CFCArts function, Sharon loves to travel, dabble with watercolor, bake, sew, sing while digging in the dirt, and pull weeds, and she enjoys anything outdoors, quietly alone or actively with friends and family.

Grace grew up listening to a house full of musicians playing several types of instruments. She and her twin sister are both learning to play piano from their older sister, a piano major at UCF. Grace was also inspired by a sister to learn to play the flute. She started playing flute in the sixth grade and joined CFCArts, where she met her current flute teacher through the CFCArts Academy. One of the most exciting things that she looks forward to is the CFCArts Youth Orchestra concerts.

Grace has a passionate love of music and arts. She also studies drawing, ballet, acrobatics, and taekwondo. She is currently a ninth grade homeschooled student aspiring to become an attorney.

Marlana has played trumpet in the CFCArts Symphony Orchestra since 2015 and in the Big Band since 2016. Her first performance was the orchestra’s Colors concert in June 2015.

Marlana’s love of music began when she was 13. She attended a DCI show where Suncoast Sound’s performance of “Aquarius” blew her away. This unforgettable experience led her to march with the Star of Indiana for three years, and the rest is history.

When she’s not cooking up a new recipe, she writes children’s fiction and paint colorful creatures.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
That’s a tough question, but if I had to choose, it would be our performance of “Hey Jude” at Steinmetz Hall during our Classic(al) Rock concert. The hall buzzed with an energy that went beyond the music itself, as both musicians and audience members swayed and sang together. It was truly a magical experience.

Lauren has sung in the Community Choir since 2023, when she performed in Disney’s Beauty & the Beast: In Concert.

Music has always been in Lauren’s family. Her great-grandmother was a music and choir teacher for many years of her life (and fun fact – was close friends with the real Maria Von Trapp from The Sound of Music). As a child, Lauren remembers watching her great-grandmother play piano in the living room during holidays and family get-togethers.

Her family also owned a series of video rental stores during the 90s and would sometimes take her to work with them. On those days, her mother and uncle would play classic musicals (and lots of Disney movies), and they would sing and dance around the store when customers weren’t there. At home, Lauren was always singing, dancing, and putting on performances every chance that she could.

As of spring 2025, Lauren is just months away from graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Nonprofit Management with a minor in Public Administration from the University of Central Florida. She also serves on the board of directors for a nonprofit organization that provides support, education, and advocacy to LGBTQIA+ individuals, their parents, and allies. She started her volunteer journey around nine years old and held her first board member position as a student at just 16 years old.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
One of my favorite experiences in the choir was being on stage with people from all programs of CFCArts and seeing the beauty and magic that can happen when you create space for everyone in our community. During my internship, my favorite memory was stepping onto the stage at the Steinmetz Theater while the orchestra and choir were rehearsing for Symphonic Disney. The amount of emotion I felt standing there in the middle of everything was something so indescribable, it brought tears to my eyes.

Courtney has been in UpBeat! since 2020, having joined during the pandemic. She first performed in Cinderella. She’s had many opportunities to perform throughout her life. A few favorites have been the Sunshine Generation in the early 90s and Angels Among Us (a group for people with special needs, which was led by an elderly priest who used to perform in Vaudeville) at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in 2015. Courtney has danced with Chance 2 Dance since 2017 and has been on their performance team since 2018.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
I have so many favorite memories that it’s hard to narrow down. I loved it when Brian interviewed and recorded me, and then I got to watch it on the screen at the Anniversary Breakfast.

Stephanie has sung alto in the Community Choir since 2023, when she performed in Disney’s Beauty & the Beast: In Concert. She’s participated in every show since.

CFCArts was Stephanie’s first experience performing onstage. She loves to sing, loves the arts, and is an artist both professionally and in her personal life. She joined because a friend told her how wonderful the organization is, and how welcoming and warm the community is within. She joined without knowing anyone and quickly made connections that she looks forward to seeing each week.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
My favorite is being onstage for that first show for Beauty and the Beast and thinking about how fortunate I was to be a part of such an amazing production with all the incredible people I had connected with throughout the season. It was magical! I loved every minute of it.

Elaine has played bass – and now cello – in the Symphony Orchestra since 2014, performing in the pit orchestra for Community Choir and summer theatre productions. Her first CFCArts performance was Umbra in Lucem, an experience she says brought her back to life.

Elaine originally joined the strings program in elementary school because she figured out that the times coincided with when she’d have  school reading. She learned to play violin to get out of reading that book she wasn’t a fan of. It wasn’t until sixth grade when she switched to upright bass and had the most wonderful teacher that she started to fall in love with orchestra and music. She attended a performing arts high school and played in three different ensembles in youth orchestra. Music was such a huge part of her childhood. She’s so happy that CFCArts exists and gives her the opportunity to continue playing.

Her two children are involved with the CFCArts Youth Theatre programs since 2023 and 2024, and she volunteeres with them when possible. 

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
Playing with Fall Out Boy for the NHL All Star game! I still cannot believe that happened!

The first time I saw my son perform on the Trinity Prep stage is also one of my favorite memories CFCArts has given me. I used to play on that stage with my youth orchestra so it was a full circle moment for me. 

Playing in the pit for Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat was also such a fun one! Seeing everything painted white and having to wear white instead of black? Nonsense for a musician.

Chris has been a member of the Youth Theatre since 2016 and fell in love with the performing arts after the first ever show. Chris’ first CFCArts performance was Go Fish. 

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
My favorite is when I was having a hard time with a dance during a show and my friends helped me learn it and grow.

Leo has been involved in the Community Choir since 2021 and Narrators since 2022. His first performance was Topsy Turvy Masquerade, though he first found CFCArts through community Acting & Storytelling and Ukulele classes in Winter Park.

Leo has been involved in music and singing in some form since elementary school in New Orleans in the ’50s (choir, trumpet) and sang the National Anthem in the Superdome before a New Orleans Jazz NBA game. He and his wife moved to Florida in 1992 and had no involvement with music or arts until retirement in 2016, when he wanted to try things he hadn’t done before. They attended several CFCArts choir shows, and his wife kept encouraging him to get involved. Once he started ukulele and was singing again, he “got the bug” and joined the choir!

CFCArts has become a major part of his life. Not only has he stretched his boundaries and continued learning, but he’s met and gotten to know so many great people and developed many friendships. He never dreamed his retirement years would be so full – and fulfilling – and he absolutely loves it!

Leo currently plays in a group called Ukulele Drifters, who entertain at assisted living facilities in Central Florida five or six times a month. He loves to cook, particularly New Orleans food, and golfs twice a week.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
My favorite is singing in Beauty and the Beast.

My favorite non-performing memory is being invited to lunch with Justin, who took the time to find out my thoughts and concerns for CFCArts and share with me what was in store in the coming year or so. It really meant a lot.

Ken joined the CFCArts Symphony Orchestra in 2024, with his first show being Call of Champions.

He focused on music at an early age, more so than his peers, but it wasn’t something his family recognized or nurtured. In adulthood, Ken pursued his passion for music (though not through classical training) and finding CFCArts has been a dream come true for him.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
When an audience member screamed when the orchestra started playing his favorite piece of music.

Evie has been part of the CFCArts Youth Theatre program since 2023. Her first performance was as a featured dancer in Aladdin Jr. She’s participated in shows with the Troupe, Jr. Troupe, and summer camps.

She got into the arts from a really young age. Evie started taking dance classes as early as she could and immediately fell in love with the stage. Her love of theatre was more gradual. She started with small performance camps and then a school performance of Frozen Jr. By the time she performed Frozen again at Dr. Phillips and did Aladdin Jr. through CFCArts, she was completely obsessed with performing.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:

My favorite memory is going to Jeremiah’s after the shows. It’s just so fun to hang out with fellow cast members and unwind from the shows.

Rachel has been a member of the Symphony Orchestra since 2023, and her first performance was Symphonic Swing.

She was fortunate enough to go to a school district that offered orchestra from fifth grade through high school. Between that and discovering Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beautiful music in The Phantom the Opera at an early age, Rachel became hooked on the feeling music gave me!

Her favorite TV show of all time is The Office. (What kind of bear is best?)

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
It’s so difficult to choose just one! One that really sticks out to me is when we were rehearsing for Symphonic Disney at the gorgeous Steinmetz Hall. Those concerts alone were a highlight of my musical career!

However, when we got to play for some generous donors and hear why they support us, it made me truly emotional and grateful to get to do what we do together. It was then that I realized not only the impact that this organization has on each of us who are in it, but the impact we have on our community as well.

Jessica joined the Symphony Orchestra in 2018, and her first performance was Symphonic Broadway in 2019.

Music has always been a huge part of her life. She grew up on Long Island, so she was fortunate to get to visit Broadway quite often from a young age and fell in love with seeing shows on stage. Her parents also always had music playing in the house when they were home, so she was introduced to a wide-range of music growing up.

Jessica started playing the clarinet in fourth grade and was instantly hooked. She loved the comradery that came with playing in an ensemble and the opportunities it provided that weren’t available to students not involved with music.

She played all through middle school and high school, then went on to march in the University of Delaware Fighting Blue Hen Marching Band. The memories she made playing in those ensembles are some of her favorites.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:

Playing Classic(al) Rock in Steinmetz Hall was an experience I’ll never forget. Between getting to play in such a beautiful, world-class venue and the audiences’ reactions to the music we were playing, it was one of the most fun times I’ve ever had playing in an ensemble. You could feel the joy of the music community in that entire performance and in the interaction between all of us as an ensemble with the audience.

Jenny joined the Community Choir in 2016 with her first show being The Messiah that summer. She joined Narrators when it first started in 2018.

She came from a family that would spontaneously burst into song for no apparent reason, so her love of singing came naturally. It took her a while to realize that not everyone’s family does this.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
Ken Anders singing “If I Were a Rich Man” at the Dr. Phillips Center.

Judy has sung in the Community Choir in 2022, with her first performance being Winter Wonderland.

Her love of music came from her father who sang in the church choir for as long as she can remember. When she and her brother were younger teens, their father got them involved in choir. They loved it. Her brother went on to have a singing ministry in North Carolina for several years as an adult. When Judy married her late husband, he was a disc jockey in North Carolina. Needless to say they had music in their home for many years. He also worked with NASCAR and did some acting and directing of musicals with community theater musicals.

Judy had wanted to join the CFCArts choir for some time, but her husband wasn’t well at the time. When he passed in 2020, Judy knew she needed something that could fill her loneliness. Joining the choir, she found wonderful people who were so loving and caring, and she has never regretted it for a second since.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
I think my favorite times with the choir are always performances, but I remember the first performance I did. The reaction of the audience was just mesmerizing, and it encouraged my soul to sing as loud as I could. I am thankful for Brandon and Justin who have such sensitivity and love for all of us. If members have any kind of problem or need to talk to somebody, they are always there for you. They always makes time.

I hope as a member ambassador I can give back just a little portion of what has been given to me.

Amanda currently plays 2nd violin in the Symphony Orchestra and also sings Alto 1 in the Community Choir. She joined both programs in 2023, and her first performance was Once Upon a Dream.

She fell in love with the performing arts at a young age. Whenever she wasn’t speaking, she was singing, but she was also incredibly shy and not quite ready for the limelight. It wasn’t until middle school that she made the decision to join the orchestra and pick up the violin. She played until college, where there was only a symphonic band, so she played the oboe parts on her violin.

After college, Amanda took a nearly 10-year hiatus. That’s when she discovered CFCArts through a former coworker and alumni ambassador Lina Al-Wali, and the rest is history. Since then, she’s enjoyed the challenge of each rehearsal to master her part and craft gorgeous music with 300 of her friends. The end result is a stunning display of community, performing for electrifying and appreciative audiences, which is something that’s good for the soul.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
There are so many incredible memories I’ve made with CFCArts so far, but I think the memory that’s most poignant happened during the Symphonic Disney II concert. The dress rehearsal and one concert day coincided with the last living memories of my grandmother with whom I shared a very special connection with music. On the program was a Coco medley, a movie that I had fallen in love with due to the main characters connection to his grandmother and music. Not long after I had seen the movie, I got a tattoo honoring my grandmother with the colors of the marigold flower, the flower that guides our ancestors home on Dia de los Muertos. Playing the medley in Steinmetz Hall was one of the most touching moments of my life, and I know my grandmother’s spirit was with me.

Mackenzie has been a part of CFCArts’ UpBeat! Theatre Troupe since 2021 and the Community Choir since 2023.

She got into the performing arts when she was very young and sang her first solo in a Christmas concert at age three. She was in Christmas musicals in church from ages 4-10, then she was in One Voice, a group for elementary-age kids in another church in another city, where she sang at nursing homes. At age 16, she joined the high school group, Good News & Creative Arts, at her church in yet another city which toured and did summer programs.

Mackenzie was also in Seusical the Musical as the Young Kangaroo in her senior year of high school, and was Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn, the mayor’s wife, in The Music Man in my super-senior year. She was a scareactor at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights in 2016. She also got to be in the chorus of Osceola Arts’ production of Scrooge in 2017.

Her unique talent is being able to memorize lines and music very quickly. She can quote large sections of movies she’s only seen two or three times – and does so often to entertain herself.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:

My favorite CFCArts memory is being in Beauty & the Beast in 2023 and dancing on stage as an enchanted napkin! It was so much fun to be with so many talented actors and actresses!

Kyle has been a part of the Big Band and Symphony Orchestra since 2022. His first performance as a CFCArts member was the Cece Teneal Icons concert, but his first CFCArts concert was Classic(al) Rock.

Favorite CFCArts Memory:
My favorite is the time that the whole horn section got to play an arrangement of “Go the Distance” that I wrote for the orchestra’s Call of Champions concert. Not only was it special for us all to get to show off the unique range of the french horn, but it was special for me as I had never had one of my arrangements get played in front of such a gigantic crowd before. My dad and a few relatives came in from out of town to see the concert and the whole horn section signed and gave me a small leather book with the score and a nice note from everybody in the section. I’ve never felt so appreciated before.