Even though her love of singing prompted her to join the chorus in the fifth grade, it wasn’t until recently that Daise loved herself as a singer. As a result, she came out of her shell as a singer and made the All-State Chorus, following a high school audition where she performed an aria—a short melodic piece of classical music that tells a story. After the experience, Daise had a positive realization. “I felt I was good at them and enjoyed the style. It sounded different from what I listened to at home or heard on the radio.”

By the time Daise arrived at Decatur High School, voice lessons became part of her repertoire. “I learned more of these classical pieces through school, [both] Renaissance and Baroque. Sometimes, the pieces of music looked really simple, [but] with the phrasing and small details it would become more and more complex. I like the challenge, plus the fact that the music was made so long ago. That inspired me. When a composer is writing a piece of music, they do everything on purpose and for a reason, to make people feel a certain way. Music is [sometimes] thought of as just an art form, but I see it in so many different things. It’s able to connect so many different people and potentially change their view on things. I find it interesting… how the brain reacts psychologically to certain notes or chords.”

Daise’s experiences as a student—under choral teacher Elise Eskew Sparks at the Decatur High School Performing Arts Center—exemplifies just how much performing arts can teach students. Through her Decatur connections, Daise snagged an internship this past summer with the Atlanta Opera.

Curing community disconnection

As a whole, the Decatur community is immensely impacted by Decatur Performs, as are the other community programs that are devoted to live performance and education. “There’s a true symbiotic relationship between the community and these kids who are the future of this community,” Satterfield says. “At Decatur Performs we want to get more visibility into this program. These kids perform better and are more fulfilled when they have a full audience to perform to and to celebrate them.”

Performers from Decatur are stunning audiences all around the metro area, showcasing the caliber of talent living and training in the DeKalb County suburb. Take Gus and Melissa Godbee, and their two oldest daughters, Greta, 11, and Willa, 10, who perform onstage in the Atlanta Opera’s chorus and children’s choir. “Our community has so many talented people (playwrights, musicians and others) and you see it shine through most with Decatur’s children,” Gus says. “Our older girls, Greta and Willa, had an opportunity to audition for the children’s chorus in Puccini’s
‘La Bohème’ this past opera season. The experience of auditioning was a unique one that taught them a variety of things, above all perseverance and believing in yourself.”

Part of the Atlanta Opera’s “La Bohème” project, the Puccini masterpiece originally was about the tuberculosis pandemic. But the Atlanta Opera’s creative director and co-director of the project, Tomer Zvulun, reworked the setting alongside his co-director, visual artist and set designer Vita Tzykun, to reflect New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two then paired their version of “La Bohème” with a performance of playwright Jonathan Larson’s “Rent,” set in New York City during the HIV/AIDs pandemic.

Opening a pathway for inclusion

From professional performers and performances to upscale high school theatre, Decatur is a hub for the arts today, as well as an incubator where audiences are free to consider social issues from different points of view. The recent rendition of the off-Broadway musical “Hadestown” by Anaïs Mitchell by Decatur High School serves as the perfect example.

The modern folk-jazz-gospel version of the Greek classical tale of Orpheus and Eurydice was one of the community’s performance highs this past November. “‘Hadestown,’ was a very thoughtful production,” Satterfield says. “Socially, culturally and politically it connected to a lot of different groups and people, and [with] what was on their hearts and minds.”

Moving forward, Satterfield says Decatur Performs will seek ways to reach even more people who can benefit from the healing messages told so well through the performing arts community. “We’re partnering with Lost and Found Youth, which helps the LGBTQ+ community deal with homelessness.”

Along with Decatur’s youth involvement in the arts, Satterfield says there is a movement to reach the older side of the community—a group she believes can be positively impacted by the arts. “We definitely want to make sure we’re reaching the broader community, for instance, the senior community.”

As part of its initiative to expand its reach, Decatur Performs will be a part of the Decatur Arts Festival in 2025. “We have so many beautiful arts organizations [in Decatur], and we want Decatur Performs to be a part of that larger community, too.”

As Decatur’s performing arts scene continues to flourish, it offers a powerful blend of connection, inspiration and healing. Each performance—whether it’s a play, dance or live musical event—continues to forge pathways to a stronger, more connected community, proving that sometimes the most potent remedy is found right at center stage.