New Tampa Dance Theatre — Still Producing Great Students & Performances

Classical ballet, modern, jazz, tap, and even hip-hop classes are offered at the New Tampa Dance Theatre, where future dance pros and recreational dancers all receive outstanding training.

It may be housed in a quiet building on a busy suburban street, but the New Tampa Dance Theatre (NTDT) offers dancers a world-class, professional experience that is unmatched in the Tampa Bay area, whether you or your child like to dance for fun or dream of a career on stage one day.

Located on Cross Creek Blvd. (across from Heritage Isles) in New Tampa, the 7,500-square-foot NTDT is the largest professional dance training facility in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Owner and artistic director Dyane Elkins IronWing is in her 24th season of creating dance memories and futures for her New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area students, many of whom have gone on to study dance in college and/or dance professionally.

“As always, I’m so proud of our students,” says Elkins IronWing. “Our dancers become excellent college students, with their impressive time-management skills, perseverance and creative thinking.”

Elkins IronWing herself says she started dancing at age 5, later trained in New York City, and performed with the Ballet Metropolitan in Columbus, Ohio.

She moved to Tampa in 1995 to be near family and friends and immediately opened NTDT in the Pebble Creek Collection on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. In 2002, she purchased the property on Cross Creek Blvd., designed her spacious new studio herself, and moved the school to the new building in January 2006.

With the bigger location, Elkins IronWing was off and running, offering smaller class sizes and larger, more varied schedules.

She says she also has a larger pool of students today, with the ongoing explosive growth in Wesley Chapel.

“Our name might say New Tampa; however, our location is much closer to Wesley Chapel than one might assume,” says Elkins IronWing. “We are extremely convenient to all of the current growth (there). Wesley Chapel families are shocked to discover just how close we are and excited because of how quickly they can drive to our school.”

All Ages & Experience Levels
Elkins IronWing caters to both the recreational dance lover as well as the devoted pre-professional, and every level in between.

NTDT’s leveled curriculum offers multiple art forms for students to explore. Through personalized attention and professional expertise, the NTDT faculty provides a positive educational experience based on the studio’s core principles of respect, responsibility and teamwork.

Teen/Adult classes include four eight-week sessions (from Sept.-May) of classical ballet, tap and Zumba.
Children ages 3-4 can participate in the Early Childhood Program, ages 5-8 can take part in the Children’s Program, and ages 9-18 can participate in NTDT’s Youth Program.

In addition to classical ballet, the studio offers full programs in creative movement, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop.

Each program has its own directors and specific syllabuses guiding students in a structured manner through their studies.

Dyane’s husband, Troy IronWing, is NTDT’s director of tap, while she will instruct ballet, jazz and creative movement classes this season. Both have continued to tour internationally, now for 14 years, with the Rhythm Extreme performance troupe.

In addition, NTDT ballet director Cristy Garcia Tanner started her dance training at age 3 in her native Puerto Rico, and at age 13, she was invited to join the Ballet Concierto Company in San Juan, PR.

Modern dance director Carla Armstrong, who joined the NTDT faculty in 2005, graduated from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Dance.

Jazz director Kristine Morgan has been dancing professionally since age 19, and she earned her BFA degree in Dance from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, PA, and also currently is the director of entertainment at Busch Gardens.

Hip-hop Director Dreama Davidson, who also has been with the school since 2005, has 19 years of professional performances and choreography to her credit, including participating in the “Katonga” show at Busch Gardens.

The facilities at NTDT are as top notch as the instructors, and include maple flooring for the tap classes, 20-25-ft.-tall mirrored walls, student locker rooms and a large studio space that can accommodate up to 200 people. Sprung floors provide shock absorption to protect the dancers’ joints, and an on-site physical therapist ensures the health of the dancers. NTDT also features a café offering light meals, snacks, coffee and other drinks.

The Training You Need

NTDT has developed a reputation for creating strong, professional dancers with alumni who have moved on to highly respected companies, Broadway productions and the Walt Disney Company.

Because NTDT students learn to be proficient in multiple art forms, these students have an edge in the competitive world of dance and many of them have been accepted into prestigious summer intensive programs, including the School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theater in New York City, The Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago and the Boston Ballet.

However, Elkins IronWing also is diligent about providing the same quality of instruction to the roughly 60 percent of the students who are enrolled in NTDT’s popular recreational programs, who have no professional dance ambitions.

“If a student doesn’t choose to pursue a career in dance after high school, they can still reach a level of artistry to be accepted into many college dance programs,” says Elkins IronWing. “Believing in yourself, respecting the process of working toward a goal, and having a well-rounded dance education give our students the tools and confidence to continue discovering new passions throughout their lifetimes.”

Great Productions, Too!

All students get to perform in the “Spring Production” and — through the studio’s nonprofit partner, the Dance Theatre of Tampa (DTT) — in the winter production of “The Nutcracker,” as well as the “Summer Concert Series,” held in June at USF.

DTT provides more than 300 free tickets to NTDT’s corporate sponsors, local community supporters, alumni members and students. A small costume rental fee for productions is the only cost over the tuition that parents have to pay at any time — there is never a requirement to buy advertising or pay performance fees.

New Tampa residents Dan and Lisa Sirois relocated here from Port St. Lucie in 2016 and enrolled their daughter at NTDT.

“With Cassidy dancing since she was 3, choosing the correct school was important,” Lisa says. “Right away, we knew we made the right decision. We appreciate the fact that Dyane faithfully believes in running the school with a policy that all students are treated fairly, with no favoritism. Absolutely no bullying is allowed. And, above all, Dyane strives to help guide each student to become respectful, decent human beings as well as great dancers.”

Transferring at 11 years old, Lisa says Cassidy was originally placed in the Youth Program Level 3 and has made true, long-lasting friendships at NTDT. “Her dance technique and confidence have improved tremendously because of all the extremely caring and knowledgeable dance teachers,” Lisa says. “She loves NTDT!”

Every holiday season, Dyane says local residents look forward to the community’s largest and longest-running interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker,” now in its 19th season. This year, it will be held Friday-Sunday, December 14-16, at USF Tampa’s College of the Arts Theater 1.
You can catch free sneak peeks of NTDT’s “The Nutcracker” at the Shops at Wiregrass mall on Saturday, November 24, Friday, November 30, Saturday, December 1 and Friday-Saturday, Dec. 7-9.

NTDT’s much-awaited Sugar Plum Fairy Tea fundraiser is now in its 14th season and will be held Sunday, December 2, at USF’s Gibbons Alumni Center. This popular event features a light lunch, desserts (including a chocolate fountain), giveaways, a sneak preview of “The Nutcracker,” and an opportunity to dance with Clara (the lead role of the young girl who receives the beloved Nutcracker as a Christmas gift) and her “party friends.”

Each year, a portion of the proceeds from the Tea is donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities in South Tampa. Tickets for both the Tea and “The Nutcracker” go on sale on Monday, October 1.

“It’s all about the children at NTDT, always has been and always will be,” Dyane says. “We are a company that enables children to succeed. The key is setting high expectations all while having fun and building self-confidence. With the amazing season ahead of us, we would like to thank all of our trusting and loyal families over the years and the organizations that continually support our vision. Without their recognition and time, NTDT wouldn’t be the magical place it has become!”

The New Tampa Dance Theatre offers year-round free trial classes for prospective dancers of all ages. To tour the facility or to rent it for a meeting, party or function, visit NTDT at 10701 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information and to check out the exciting lineup of fall classes, visit NewTampaDanceTheatre.com or call (813) 994-NTDT (6838).

Catalyst Club Members Bring Joy Of STEM To New Tampa Middle Schoolers

(Left to right) Jon Karthaka, Ansh Bhatt, Aaryan Sharma and Nusheen Immen lead the Catalyst Club at King High, where they are all juniors in the school’s IB program.

While many students recognize the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts and some join robotics or science clubs, it is likely that there are some kids who haven’t been exposed to STEM in a way that is fun and engaging.

Aaryan Sharma, a 16-year-old International Baccalaureate (IB) student at King High on N. 56th St. in Tampa wants to change that.

“We want to reach out to kids who are not already interested in STEM,” the Arbor Green resident explains.

Last year, Aaryan started the “Catalyst Club” at King with a goal to teach STEM to middle school students.

Middle schoolers, says Aaryan, are the perfect age — not too young to comprehend the subjects, and not too old that it is too late for them to become interested.

“Middle school kids are mature enough to grasp advanced concepts,” explains Aaryan. “High school students might be apathetic,” especially if they’ve already determined their path, and aren’t really open to being introduced to a new passion.”

So, Aaryan and fellow club members and officers worked last year to get the Catalyst Club up and running. This summer, their efforts took off.

Catalyst Club members reached middle school students, mostly through the HOST (Hillsborough Out of School Time) program, which provides care for students after school and during the summer.

They visited Liberty Middle School once a week, and Turner/Bartels K-8 School twice a week this summer.

Using presentations, hands-on activities and friendly competitions, Catalyst Club members teach STEM concepts to middle school students at Turner/Bartels K-8 school.

Each visit included a new lesson, first taught via a PowerPoint presentation, which was then followed up with a hands-on activity.

Jon Karthaka, the club’s director of information and content, explains a recent lesson last month.

“We’re teaching about non-Newtonian fluids, using oobleck,” he says. Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water that has properties unlike a typical liquid. “We put oobleck in a Ziploc bag, then put an egg in. The kids can drop it and throw it, and the egg won’t break.”

He explains that the hands-on activities piqued the students’ curiosity and gave them the opportunity to learn in a fun way.

“We always have a demonstration and try to have competitions,” Jon explains. “They love it.”

He says the competition aspect of the club captures the middle school students’ attention. For example, at one lesson, club members gave the students popsicle sticks and tape to make a boat and see which one could hold the most quarters without sinking. This helped teach engineering, buoyancy and other principles.

“If we just teach the theory behind it, kids might be confused,” says Aaryan. “Having hands on activities, it clicks. The concept makes more sense.”

Along with Aaryan, Ansh Bhatt is the club’s vice president, and Nusheen Immen, who lives in Tampa Palms, is the club’s director of outreach and communications.

All are 16 years old and juniors in King High’s IB program.

They’re doing the typical things other high school students do, too, but are making time in their schedules to teach younger kids STEM concepts.

“We’re busy studying for SATs, too, but this is a way for us to give back,” says Aaryan. “That’s our core motivation.”

Not only do they want to volunteer and help those around them, they also are hoping to plant seeds that will lead to more students pursuing STEM careers.

They call it their “macro goal” — not just to impact some students here in New Tampa and surrounding areas, but to “bolster innovation and scientific progress in society,” Aaryan says.

“We hope to ignite a spark to create a beautiful chain reaction,” Nusheen adds.

Working with the HOST program has been a great match so far, and that is expected to continue, now that the students have returned to school. The lessons from the Catalyst Club members don’t conflict with the school day, where teachers might not have time to incorporate them.

Catalyst Club members also can attend their full day of school and go to HOST to teach after their school day ends.

“Another thing we love is it gives us opportunities to reach all kinds of students,” says Aaryan, not just students who are already gathered together because they’ve joined a STEM-related club. Catalyst Club officers say they hope to expand their lessons to more schools — and students – via the HOST program or other means.

They also emphasize that they’re not limited to just schools. So far, in addition to schools, they have also presented to Girl Scouts and are open to working with other organizations.

They hope more high school students will start their own Catalyst Club chapters at their schools, too, to increase their impact.

Aaryan says the middle school students he met this summer asked them to come back, and look forward to their visits.

“It’s so good to see the kids and develop a relationship with them,” he says.

Catalyst Club officers emphasize that they do all the work and don’t charge for their services. When they work with a school or organization, they agree on dates and times, then club members plan everything.
To learn more about the Catalyst Club, to request a presentation for a middle school group, or for high school students to find out more about starting their own chapter of the club, visit CatalystClub.TK.

5 Things That Have Changed As New Tampa Students Head Back To School

With students throughout Hillsborough County now back to school for the 2018-19 school year the same day this issue is scheduled to arrive in your mailbox, there are many changes that make this school year different from last. Here are five things that are new since your students were on campus last spring:

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies went through intensive “active shooter” training this summer in preparation for the new school year. (HCSO Twitter)

 

1. School Security
In the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting on Valentine’s Day of this year, a new state law requires armed security on every public school campus.

While the law has changed, it won’t appear much different from what’s already been in place on most New Tampa public school campuses.

Freedom and Wharton high schools, Benito and Liberty middle schools and Turner/Bartels K-8 school will continue to have a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy or Tampa Police Department (TPD) officer on campus.

At our area’s six elementary schools, one TPD officer or HCSO deputy will be assigned to each school. Previously, one officer served multiple campuses.

While it is planned to have an armed school security officer at every elementary school, employed by Hillsborough County Public Schools, the school district says it will take time to hire and train the necessary personnel, so elementary school campuses will have law enforcement officers from the local agencies to “fill that temporary gap and ensure the safety of our schools,” according to a statement provided by the Hillsborough School District.

What may be different, though, is the fear felt by parents as they send their kids back to school.

Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International is a national professional organization for educators that has surveyed attitudes toward public education every year since 1969. This year’s poll finds that one in three parents fear for their child’s physical safety at school. PDK describes that as, “a sharp increase from 2013, when just 12 percent said they were fearful.”

Wendy Arroyo, whose two children attend Wharton and Benito, says she believes the school campuses are safe but, in the back of her mind, “There’s always a little bit of fear that something might happen today,” she says. “Unfortunately, that’s the reality that we live in now.”

Local principals say their campuses are continually monitored for safety and improved as opportunities are recognized, with some improvements being provided by the district and some coming out of school budgets.

“We have always tried to secure our campus in every way, shape and form, from every angle,” says Benito principal John Sanders. He and other local principals say they continue to do that on an ongoing basis.

 

2. Bell Times
Every school in New Tampa has a new schedule this year. Elementary schools start at 7:40 a.m. and finish at 1:55 p.m., middle schools start at 9:25 a.m. and finish at 4:20 p.m., and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 3:25 p.m.
The biggest change is at Turner/Bartels K-8 School, which starts at 7:40 a.m. and finishes at 2:35 p.m. this year.
Last year, Turner/Bartels’ school hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It’s a huge change for our families,” says principal Cindy Land. “It’s bittersweet. Parents are excited because their younger kids will be able to participate in after-school activities, but older kids are used to the later (start and end) times.”

Parents of students at all schools are making changes in their routines to accommodate the new schedules. Elementary and middle schools have before- and after-school care, called HOST (Hillsborough Out of School Time) to help working parents who need to drop off or pick up their children outside of their school’s hours.

“Drop off doesn’t happen until 9 a.m. now,” explains Benito principal Sanders. “HOST starts at 7 a.m., but if you’re not in HOST, you can’t walk in or be dropped off until 9 a.m.”

 

3. Newly Assigned Schools
A major boundary shift has happened, with students living in several New Tampa neighborhoods heading to different schools this fall. Students living in Cory Lake Isles and Arbor Greene who previously attended Pride Elementary have been reassigned to Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE).

School records show that, as of the end of July, 250 students are now enrolled at HGE who were previously at Pride. Many students who were reassigned from Pride were given the opportunity to stay there using the school district’s “school choice” applications. The number of students who chose to do that will not be available until after school starts.

“People are very excited,” says HGE principal Gaye Holt. “It’s been a very positive transition.”
Meanwhile, residents of the Morgan Creek apartments neat I-75, who were previously assigned to HGE, have been reassigned to Clark, which is a couple of miles closer to Morgan Creek residents.

Residents of K-Bar Ranch and Addison Park apartments in Cross Creek have been moved from Heritage to Pride.
More than 550 students who were bused to Clark and HGE from the area surrounding the University of South Florida now attend schools in their own neighborhoods, which created space at both HGE and Clark to accept students from Pride and make room for the expected growth in K-Bar Ranch.

4. Fewer Buses, More Cars?
Expect to see a few less school buses on the roads in New Tampa for the 2018-19 school year, as many students have been reassigned to schools closer to their homes. Hillsborough County Schools doesn’t provide buses to students who live less than two miles from their assigned school.

Hunter’s Green has prepared for the change – with just four school buses on campus this year, compared to 10 last year – by doing some construction to accommodate the expected increase in car traffic and those students who will be walking and biking.

Drop-off and pick-up car line traffic will now enter HGE via Cross Creek Blvd. A new roadway circle that accommodates cars two-deep was constructed to aid in the lineup of traffic, especially for the afternoon pick-up line.
Designed to minimize traffic impacts along Cross Creek Blvd., Principal Gaye Holt says the new path is expected to accommodate 110 vehicles in the car line at once.

 

5. Wharton’s “New” Principal
A new principal who is a familiar face to many locals has taken the helm at Wharton High, which suffered some negative publicity last year about student safety at the school.

Mike Rowan was the principal at King High on N. 56th St. until he officially became the principal at Wharton on July 1.

Rowan is a resident of Pebble Creek and a parent of a student who graduated from Wharton this past spring. When the school first opened in 1997, becoming New Tampa’s first high school, Rowan was a social studies teacher and soccer coach. In 2006, he was named assistant principal for administration (APA) at Wharton. He served in that capacity for five years before being named the principal at King.

The New Owners Of Budget Blinds Still Promise Affordable Luxury!

Mike Wonderlin has been an employee of Budget Blinds for 10 years. When the previous local franchise owners retired, Mike and his wife, Adriane, jumped at the chance to take over the successful franchise they already knew so well and the showrooms in Brandon and on W. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa.

Mike and Adriane Wonderlin are the new owners of Budget Blinds of North Tampa, Land O’Lakes and Brandon.

After working for Budget Blinds for almost a decade, Mike and his wife purchased the three Tampa-area franchises from the previous owner.

The Budget Blinds showroom that serves New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas is located on W. Fletcher Ave. near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit. The Wonderlins have a second showroom in Riverview, serving the Brandon area.

Mike moved to Florida to work for Budget Blinds about 10 years ago. At the time, he had already been in the window treatment industry for eight years and was looking to get out of the cold winters in Illinois. While he was interested in purchasing a franchise, the economy was bad. Instead, he took a job as a design consultant in warm, sunny Tampa.

“I thought I would do it for a year or two and learn the business, so I could hit the ground running,” says Mike. “But, the business kept growing and they treated me well.”

“They” are Jim and Elaine Trotter, who owned the franchises at the time.

Mike was the second employee the Trotters hired. As the business grew and more design consultants were needed, Mike remained a top design consultant and also trained new hires.

“Now we have 27 employees and I’ve trained most of them,” Mike says.

The first employee hired by the Trotters was administrative assistant Derenda Burdette, who is still with the business. “She is a huge asset to our team,” Adriane says.

And this year, when the Trotters became grandparents and retired, they approached Mike about buying the business.

“They’ve mentored me to prepare me for ownership,” he says. “By selling their franchises to us, they’ve kept it in the family.”

A Little Budget Blinds History
Founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, Budget Blinds today has more than 1,100 franchises in the U.S. and Canada and has served Tampa Bay-area residents for more than 20 years. The Trotters moved the showroom to its current location about 6 years ago, from an original location in Land O’Lakes.

Mike has learned the business inside and out, and is thrilled to be the new owner. “It’s a well-run franchise,” he says.

In fact, Adriane adds, “The Trotters won Budget Blinds’ Franchise of the Year in 2016 and 2017, and we are on track this year for a three-peat.” Adriane, who comes from a background in retail, also says that she most recently she worked for Vans as a district manager. Her experience meshes well with Mike’s.

“(We) have a good partnership because he knows the product and I know human resources and operations from the corporate end,” she says.

Adriane adds that she also is excited that her new job keeps her local, so she no longer has to travel out of the area.

Mike and Adriane live in Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel with their daughter, Harper, who will be 5 in August.

A Variety That Won’t Break The Bank!
“The most important thing is that we have a style and service for every budget,” Adriane says.

While customers are always welcome to visit either Budget Blinds showroom, Mike says that many clients never set foot in the door. A design consultant will come to your home with many samples for a complimentary design consultation to help you choose the perfect products for your needs.

Budget Blinds offers a complete line of window coverings. Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutter options range from modern wood styles, plantation shutters for the inside and outside, composite shutters for bathrooms that prevent warping, and many more.

If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar and graphic, not to mention a variety of panels, valances and drapes.

“Our niche in the market is somewhere between a big box store and calling a decorator,” explains Adriane. “Our design consultants don’t just go out and give a quote; they actually help design.”

Mike says a big advantage of using Budget Blinds instead of one of those big box stores is that the buying power of Budget Blinds within the industry allows the company to negotiate better warranties on the same products.

“You can buy the same exact line at Home Depot, but you won’t get the same warranty,” he explains, noting that many of Budget Blinds’ warranties are both lifetime and “no questions asked” — meaning that whether the dog eats it, the kids damage it — for any reason, the product will be replaced.

Mike and Adriane say their number one focus is customer service.

Mat and Karie Jones are happy to attest to the level of customer service provided by Budget Blinds. When it was time to update their home in Lexington Oaks, the couple called Budget Blinds to schedule a design consultant to come out to their home. While they thought they would be shopping for vertical blinds, Mat says, “The salesman was very knowledgeable and showed us options we didn’t even know existed.”

They ended up purchasing a cellular shade, a popular and versatile option.

“We have younger kids and a dog, and they couldn’t mess it up, so it seemed like a no-brainer,” says Mat.
The Jones’ positive experience led to them purchasing a vertical panel to provide shade to their pool area, too. “We’re very happy,” he adds.

Mat says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Budget Blinds. Why? “Because of the service that you get, and the product they offer, before, during and after the installation,” he says. “They’re very customer-service focused, and not just there to make the sale and get out.”

Smart Products For Your Home
The Wonderlins say many of their customers are looking for “smart” products these days, and that Budget Blinds is a leader in this area, which is a huge trend in the market.

“Especially in neighborhoods such as Estancia and The Ridge (both in Wiregrass Ranch), where they have nice conservation views, people don’t want to have to go behind the couch to pull the cord on their window treatments,” Mike says.

Budget Blinds offers many products that are automated, set on timers and interact with your smart phone or even Alexa.

So, you can be awakened in the morning by natural sunlight as your blackout shades gradually rise, or change the ambiance of your whole home after the sun has set, all at the press of a button.

In 2016, Budget Blinds began offering a “Smart Homes by Budget Blinds” partnership with the smart home company Lutron. The Tampa-area franchise was one of just 15 franchises to pioneer the concept, introducing smart shades, lighting and thermostat controls for its customers.

Lutron is a company based in Coopersburg, PA, that specializes in lighting technologies, with more than 2,700 patents, including innovations in window shade technology that integrates daylight and electric light.

Budget Blinds also offers solutions for commercial clients, ranging from schools to hotels to small businesses, and these window coverings also cut down on energy costs by helping to blunt Florida’s heat and glare.

Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa is located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave. The showroom hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, call (813) 968-5050. For more info, visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.

Music Changes Local Resident Tyler Sinckler’s Life

On a recent Sunday afternoon, the sweet sounds of a young man playing a beautiful baby grand piano fill the air in the lobby of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

Behind the keyboard sits Tyler Sinckler, a 15-year-old student who will enter Wesley Chapel High this fall as a freshman.

His mom, Crystal Jenkins, and stepdad, Acie Jenkins, watch as Tyler plays, bursting with pride and marveling at how far their son has come.

Before middle school, Tyler says he was only interested in video games. His parents say he was struggling academically.

Then one day — he and his mom agree that it was out of boredom — he sat down at the piano his older brother, Chad, used to play before he left for college at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Tyler started plunking the keys and listening to the notes, and managed to figure out the melody of the music from one of his favorite video games. He kept at it, and played more video game melodies.

He says he taught himself to play the theme from Super Smash Bros.

Shortly thereafter, Crystal signed her son up for piano lessons.

One thing led to another, and Tyler began playing percussion in the middle school band at John Long Middle School. He went to a camp to learn how to play electric guitar and bass.

Now, he composes original pieces for the piano. He competed in the talent show at his school — one when he was in the seventh grade at John Long, and another as an eighth grader at Weightman, after his home was rezoned from one school boundary area to the other. In both shows, he played an original composition and, in both shows, he took home second-place awards.

Acie and Crystal Jenkins are proud of their son Tyler Sinckler, who has improved his grades through his dedication to learning and playing music. He recently got to perform on the grand piano in the lobby at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

He says he discovered something new about himself.

“I liked being in front of an audience,” Tyler says. “I created my own songs and it went well. It was fun.”
Crystal says she’s impressed with Tyler’s innate skill. While both of her boys have a talent for music, she’s not a musician.

“I’m not sure where they get it from,” she laughs.

Tyler says becoming a musician has taught him many things.

“I’ve learned patience,” he says. “When I mess up in practice, I slow down and take my time.”
He also says he’s overcome being nervous and become more self-confident when he’s not playing an instrument.

He uses what he’s learned to encourage others to try new things, too, like when his friends wanted to enter the talent show competition, but didn’t because they were too nervous. “The more you do it, the less nervous you are,” he tried to convince them.

Crystal says Tyler’s love for music has led to improvements at school, and he is doing better in reading, writing and math.

“I think it’s because of his improved focus,” she says.

While Tyler had previously struggled with academics, he’s going into honors classes in high school.
That self-confidence he mentioned? It is now his shoulder to lean on as he takes on more difficult classes.

“I think I’m up for it,” he says.

When marching band starts this fall, he’ll play percussion. Tyler says he’s earned the role of “first vibraphone,” which means he’ll play the solos and leads, while other vibraphone players play rhythm.

Donald Scott, the band director at Weightman, says Tyler is a dedicated, hard working and perseverant student.

“He has a real deep love for music,” Donald says.
Tyler has developed skills in a variety of band formats. He excelled in the marching band (which performed at parades and middle school football games), concert band and even a little jazz band in middle school.

“He plays all the percussion and does it well,” says Donald. “He was one of my leaders.”

Donald says Tyler often showed the younger students how to play their parts. “He’s like a little percussion prodigy back there,” Donald says. “He knows his stuff.”

While he’s been a standout as a middle school percussionist, Tyler says that his real love is playing the piano.

He’s played in a nursing home, and even played an original composition at his mom and stepdad’s wedding.

Acie explains that Tyler has been looking for more opportunities to both perform and to give back to the community. So, Acie approached Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel requesting that his stepson volunteer his time and talents by playing the grand piano in the hospital’s lobby.

The family is hopeful that Tyler will be able to continue to volunteer in that way.

When asked if he still plays video games, Tyler says, “Not that much. I sold my video game consoles to make time for music.”

In the future, Donald says he can see Tyler continuing to pursue music with a passion.

“I can see him being a steady performer, doing all the percussion parts, and he would definitely be a great piano player,” Donald says. “If he wants to, he could become a music teacher. I really do see that in him.”