Performing Arts Staff

Meet the Staff

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Hudson Adams Hide: A professional actor, director, and producer with a B.A. from Vanderbilt in English and Theater, Hudson is Westminster’s technical director. He has acted in, directed, and produced plays with a wide variety of local companies, from Actor’s Express to the Georgia Shakespeare Festival.
Drew Austin Hide: A veteran instructor who has taught at Northwestern University, the Eastman School of Music, and Interlochen Center for the Arts, as well as several public schools, Drew is orchestra director. She has a B. A. from the University of Illinois, an M.M. from Northwestern, and did her doctoral studies at Eastman School of Music.
Eric Brannen Hide: Director (and founder) of the Westminster Players, Eric has earned wide recognition for his leadership in drama and forensics, including president of the Educational Theater Association, president of the Georgia Debate Coaches Association and winner of the Presidential Scholars’ Distinguished Teacher Award for Theater Arts.
Linda Cherniavsky Hide: Linda holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Illinois and is orchestra director. Former chair of the Performing Arts Department, she is also a professional violinist with the Atlanta Opera Orchestra.
Teresa DeBerry Hide: Director of Junior High drama, Teresa is a veteran actor and drama teacher. She has a B.A. in Theater from FSU and is a graduate of the Acting Intern Program at the Alliance Theater. She has appeared in numerous productions with the Alliance Theater, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, Emory Theater, and other companies.
Rebecca Doster Hide: Rebecca has studied and taught music throughout the U.S. and Europe, including the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and the British Berlin School. In addition to teaching music to third through fifth graders, she is also the accompanist for the Elementary School chorus and orchestra.
Steven Hancock Hide: Orchestra director and chair of the Performing Arts Department, Steve holds degrees in violin performance and music education from Lawrence University and the University of Illinois. He is also curriculum director for Westminster’s Odyssey Program.
Jenny Heidt Hide: Director of forensics, Jenny came to Westminster after coaching on the collegiate level, and has in only a few years already led Westminster’s debate team to several state championships and even national titles at some of the country’s most prestigious tournaments. She also teaches history in the High School.
Tim Howard Hide: A band director with the school’s percussionists, Tim has an extensive background as a percussionist and music educator. He is also the founder and CEO of Percussion Technologies, Inc., a percussion design and consultation firm.
Scotty Jones Hide: Scotty graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and his master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting and Wind Literature at Michigan State University. Mr. Jones comes to Westminster after teaching at Waubonsie Valley High School and Oak Park and River Forest High School in Illinois. He teaches band and coaches the Junior High girls tennis team.
Jere Link Hide: The multi-talented Jere is not only the assistant debate coach but also a highly respected member of the High School History Department, which he chaired for many years. He has a B. A. from the U. of Texas and an M.A. and Ph.D. from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Sandra Lutters Hide: Sandra is accompanist and voice instructor for both the Junior High and High School choral programs. She studied opera and conducting with the Metropolitan Opera of New York and has composed religious music and directed a number of church choirs.
Freddy Martin Hide: Freddy Martin was born and educated through high school in Cobb County, Georgia. Mr. Martin attended Jacksonville State University in Alabama where he received the Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and was Vice President of the Sigma Nu Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia professional music fraternity. Mr. Martin has done post-graduate work at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Mr. Martin is the founding director of the famed Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps and continues to serve the Corps today as director emeritus. Under Mr. Martin’s direction the corps has been recognized as one of the finest marching music units in the world. He is now on the brass instructional staff of the Phantom Regiment Drum Corps from Rockford, Illinois. Mr. Martin served as director of the South Cobb High School Bands. Under Mr. Martin’s ten-year direction the band grew from a membership of 17 students to one of the finest high school bands in the country with a membership of 284 students. The band program had a nationally recognized marching band, a fine jazz band, and four very fine concert bands, along with three winter color guards. Mr. Martin most also served as band director at Buford High School. When Mr. Martin arrived at Buford the high school band program was beginning to rebuild from a low of seven members. On his departure from Buford the high school band program had grown to 75 playing members and a color guard of 22 members in a high school of less than 300 total students. Mr. Martin is a trained adjudicator by the Central States Judges Association and the Southern States Judges Association. Mr. Martin has served as a clinician and adjudicator in most of the fifty states and in England. He has been an active adjudicator for Bands of America for the past twenty five years and has judged the Bands of America National Championship over a dozen times. Mr. Martin has adjudicated over forty Bands of America Regional Championships along with a number of local and regional band competitions. Mr. Martin is an active adjudicator with the New York Field Band Conference adjudicating dozens of N.Y.S.F.B.C local shows and the New York State Field Band Conference Championships several times over the past 33 years. Mr. Martin has also participated in adjudicating many concert band festivals and contests in more than 25 states and England. Mr. Martin’s oldest son Chris is Principal Trumpet in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Lynda Martin sings in the Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Michael Martin, the youngest child, is a graduate student at Northwestern University in trumpet performance. Chris and Michael are frequent performers at Westminster Band Concerts. Mr. Martin is adjunct faculty for brass at Emory University and is in his seventh year as band director and brass specialist at the Westminster Schools.
Susan Galanes McMillan Hide: Susan works with the Junior High chorus. A talented operatic soloist who received her formal training at the North Carolina School of the Arts, she has sung for many years with the Atlanta Opera and in both classical concerts and musical theater.
Scott Morris Hide: A professional organist and vocalist, notably with the Atlanta Opera Chorus, Scott is the director of the High School chorus and the 24-person select choral group called the Ensemble. He has degrees in piano performance and music education from Jacksonville State and Georgia State University.
Thad Persons Hide: Westminster Class of 1988, Thad attended Princeton University and, more recently, Columbia University. In addition to teaching High School English, Thad directs High School drama, including one-act plays. He is also an accomplished playwright and filmmaker.
N. Grant Pfeifer Hide: Grant is the director of Westminster’s Music MIDI Lab (Music Instrument Digital Interface), where he teaches Introduction to Music classes. With both B. A. and M.M. degrees in theory and composition, Grant is the recipient of numerous commissions for choral and instrumental compositions.
Linda Searles Hide: Linda is a choral director and music educator in the Junior High School. In addition to her B.M.E. and M.M. degrees from Augustana and the University of Illinois, Linda has also been a music educator in Portugal and Switzerland. She currently is a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus.
Maxine Smith Hide: Maxine is the Elementary School chorus director and pre-1st – 2nd grade music teacher. She studied at Mary Baldwin College, Oglethorpe University, and Westminster Choir College. She is also the choir director at Northwest Presbyterian Church.