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Dr. Phillips Center Launches Eighth Notes for Orlando’s Young Performers
Photo courtesy of Dr. Phillips Center
For Orlando kids drawn to the stage, Eighth Notes offers a new place to learn, grow, and take their talent further.
Orlando’s young performers are getting started earlier.
That’s what Tatiana Bello, education manager and Eighth Notes artistic director at Dr. Phillips Center, told Pulp City after we reached out to learn more about the new musical theatre ensemble. Bello says educators are seeing elementary-age students becoming more serious about musical theatre. Some are pursuing professional opportunities at younger ages. Others are simply ready for more than the occasional class or workshop.
Now, the Dr. Phillips Center is creating a place for them to take that next step. Eighth Notes, a new audition-based musical theatre ensemble offered through the AdventHealth School of the Arts, will provide year-round training in acting, singing and dance to third- through fifth-grade students.
The program fills a gap in an existing pipeline. Dr. Phillips Center already operates Quarter Notes for middle school students and Four Counts, its advanced ensemble for high school performers. But as those programs grew, students and parents began asking for something similar for younger performers.
“Eighth Notes was created in response to that feedback, giving students a pathway to begin developing their skills and prepare for future performance opportunities,” Bello told Pulp City.
Starting Younger in Orlando
Orlando offers a unique environment for that kind of early ambition. Bello points to the city’s entertainment industry, along with a growing number of youth and junior productions, as giving kids more opportunities to encounter performance early and see themselves as participants.
“Orlando is incredibly fortunate to be a talent-rich community, in large part because of the entertainment industry that surrounds us,” Bello said. “We’re seeing an incredible amount of talent emerge at a very young age, and we’re also seeing more young people getting involved in musical theatre earlier than ever before.”
Growing up near theme parks and other live entertainment also means young Central Floridians can see professional performers long before they’re old enough to seriously consider doing it themselves. Sometimes, seeing it is enough to plant the idea. “They see performers on stage and begin to think, ‘I want to do that,’” Bello said, adding elementary-age students are demonstrating “a level of skill and commitment that we traditionally saw more often in middle and high school students.”
More Than Another Theatre Class
For kids ready to take that initial spark further, Eighth Notes isn’t structured like a one-off theatre class. The audition-based program operates as a year-round performance ensemble, with students receiving instruction tailored to their individual strengths, while each class builds on the one before it. Along with acting, singing, and dance, students learn how to collaborate, support other performers, and contribute to a cast.
For Bello, the goal extends beyond developing better performers. “When a young student has access to the arts, they gain so much more than technical skills,” she said. “The arts can spark curiosity, empathy, creativity, and confidence while helping young people develop critical thinking, communication skills, and a broader understanding of the world.”
There’s also a deeper, community element to it. Students repeatedly describe Dr. Phillips Center’s arts programs as a place where they can find their people, express themselves, and feel seen and accepted. Bello believes that having a sense of belonging can build confidence within young people that follows them well beyond the classroom.
Becoming a professional performer isn’t necessarily the end goal, either. Programs like Eighth Notes can expose students to the people behind a production, including choreographers, casting directors, musical directors, and teaching artists, opening the door to creative careers they may not have considered before.
“The arts help young people discover who they are and who they can become,” Bello said.
Building a Path Forward
“We’ve seen the impact of programs like Quarter Notes and Four Counts, and Eighth Notes allows us to extend that pathway to younger students,” Bello said. “It gives them the opportunity to build their skills and gain meaningful performance experience earlier, creating a natural progression as they move from Eighth Notes to Quarter Notes and eventually Four Counts.”
That progression also fits into Dr. Phillips Center’s broader Arts For Every Life vision, which includes a much-needed expansion of access to arts education. The center offers scholarships based on financial need and strong interest in the performing arts, helping make its training programs available to students who might otherwise face barriers to participating.
The potential impact could reach well beyond the kids who take the stage.
“By introducing quality training earlier, we can help students develop their skills and confidence sooner while giving them the access and opportunities they need to continue growing,” Bello said. “It not only helps develop individual performers; it enriches the arts community as a whole.”
Auditions for Eighth Notes have been extended through Aug. 29. Interested families can find audition details and submission requirements through the Dr. Phillips Center education website.
Mike Synan
News | Sports | Politics
- After two decades in news and politics, Mike Synan is returning to his roots to write Sports as “The Sportsaholic”. Mike hosted a talk show for 6 years on WDBO after Magic home games called “Magic Til Midnight”, and spent years working as an in-game correspondent for both ESPN and Fox Sports Radio. His column “Synan Says” has appeared on both www.wdbo.com and www.floridadaily.com. He has a BS in Political Science from Clemson University. You can reach him at msynan@sportsmail.com
