Using ordinary objects to tell extraordinary stories of
Marietta and Cobb County
One Depot Street, Marietta, GA 30060
770-794-5710 | www.MariettaHistory.org
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Celebrating 47 Years in Cobb County
Offering Classes
for the Beginner to the
Professional
Ages 3 years to Adult
Come Dance with Us!
4400 Roswell Road Marietta, Georgia
www.dancestopstudios.com
FACTBOOK 2021 151
770-578-0048
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The music plays
on for Marietta
Pops Orchestra
Staff reports
You don’t have to be flown
to the moon — or even outside
of Marietta — to hear live
performances of your favorite
standards, jazz, movie themes
and light music.
The Marietta Pops Orchestra,
established 10 years ago by
First Baptist Church Marietta
Director/Minister of Worship
Arts Dr. Paul Hill, gathers
local amateur musicians together
throughout the year to
perform all of that and more,
right here in Marietta.
“I have a passion for adults
continuing their love of music,”
Dr. Hill, who serves as both
founding conductor and
music director of MPO, said.
“Many of our members were in
marching band in high school,
then some continued to play
college ... but maybe didn’t
want to make music their
careers. So they started families
and careers and put their instuments
aside. But, as musicians,
they still really enjoy making
music so this allows them to
continue that passion without
having to set it aside just because
life gets in the way.”
Dr. Hill said there is a steady
group of about 60 MPO musicians,
but he will hire others if
there are sections that need to
be filled. Otherwise, the members
of the 501(c)3 group —
almost all of whom are from
the Marietta area — perform
for the joy they get out of it
and the joy it gives to others.
“’Amateur’ doesn’t necessarily
mean less than professional,
it just means the musicians do
it for the love of music rather
than relying on it for their
income,” he added.
“We’re a community orchestra,
so the goal is to make everyone
feel really good, from
the musicians to the audience
members, and just have an
enjoyable, entertaining experience,”
he said.
The group practices at the
church and even performs in
its sanctuary at least once a
year. Dr. Hill said the church
leaders are kind enough to
provide the space free of
cost to the group, saving the
nonprofit thousands of dollars
a year in space rentals, chairs
and other miscellaneous costs.
The MPO also performs
at the Earl and Rachel Smith
Strand Theatre, the Jennie T.
Anderson Theatre, and has
occasionally performed on the
outdoor bandstand at Glover
Park in the Marietta Square. In
August, Hill sent out an email
to MPO performers to see if
they wanted to get creative in
continuing to make music,
from a distance. For more
information and to see if/
when performances have been
scheduled or rescheduled, visit
mariettapopsorchestra.org.
/www.MariettaHistory.org
/www.dancestopstudios.com
/mariettapopsorchestra.org