The Innovation Show Choir is a dynamic and entertaining group of talented young people who perform musical selections with movement and choreography.

We are a distinctive music-in-motion ensemble and perform a wide variety of musical genres, from modern pop songs to Broadway show tunes, to traditional holiday choral favorites. Our members are chosen by audition and range in age from 8 to 18 (third grade through twelfth grade).

The Innovation Show Choir performs at venues throughout the greater Santa Clarita Valley and beyond. Whether it's a civic event, a corporate or professional gathering, a benefit or fundraiser, a senior center, or a school assembly, the Innovation Show Choir is ready to entertain and delight you!

The Innovation Show Choir is the proud recipient of the City of Santa Clarita Community Services and Arts Grant, for 2020, 2021, and 2022.

ABOUT

the Innovation Show Choir

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S LEADING COMMUNITY-BASED YOUTH PERFORMING ENSEMBLE

VOICE

Developing lifelong vocal artistry

Our singers learn proper vocal technique and choral skills such as harmony, blending, and more.

OUR VISION

The Innovation Show Choir envisions a future in which excellence in the choral and dance arts is valued and supported.

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Innovation Show Choir is to inspire and nurture young people as they strive for artistic excellence, while instilling a lifelong appreciation of the choral and dance arts. Through dedication to the rehearsal and performance process, members will develop valuable skills including leadership, self confidence, teamwork, and pride of accomplishment, thereby enriching their lives and the lives of residents throughout the Santa Clarita Valley community and beyond.

STAFF

Katina Childs-Müller, B.F.A. ✉️

Co-Founder

Co-Executive Director

Co-Artistic Director

Choreographer

Katina Childs-Müller, a.k.a. Miss Kat, has been teaching dance for twenty seven years. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and theater from Western Michigan University. She has been in numerous musicals and performed on many cruise ships and as well as performed with Tim Conway, Stephanie J. Block, Tom Jones, Kenny Rogers, and Jay Leno.

Miss Kat has choreographed for ten theme parks throughout the US and Europe, show choirs, dinner theaters, cruise ships, and many musicals. She had the honor of choreographing for the TV show Angel, collaborating with Joss Whedon on an episode that was based on the ballet, Giselle.

Miss Kat is the creator and producer of The KidamaJIGs, a pilot TV show that features kids who sing and dance. She is also co-creator of “The Müller Family Circus” what she calls her crazy family of four showbiz kids, hubby, and dog Baxter.

Jackie Whitehorn

Co-Executive Director

Co-Artistic Director

Vocal Director

Jackie Whitehorn received her Bachelor’s of Music from the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, majoring in professional music. She has been teaching piano and vocal lessons for 20+ years, also coaching independent singer/songwriters and aspiring actors for auditions in the Los Angeles greater area.

Ms. Whitehorn had the honor of directing the musical, The Fantastiks, for the Canyon Theater Guild in Santa Clarita early on in her professional career. She is a member of the Music Teacher’s Association of California and lives in Santa Clarita with her husband, Jamie, her three children, Benjamin, Connor, and Emily, her two mischievous cats, Callie and Brownie, and her teddy-bear looking Goldendoodle, Maggie

Maia Correia-Fill

Director of Operations

Born in Los Angeles, CA Maia had been exposed to a number of different art forms via social and community art programs. Going onstage for the first time at the age of eight, she found a love of dance that slowly transitioned into a passion for community and cultural engagement through performance art. At age 16 Maia was honored by the State of California for her arts scholarship. From there she decided to shift her focus to teaching and creating meaningful community art programs in order to teach self expression through performance and visual art forms.

In the subsequent years, Maia worked for a number of local studios and smaller businesses across Southern California. In the Fall of 2022, she was asked to join the faculty at the CalArts Community Arts Partnership, as they rewrote their dance curriculum into a street dance program. In the Spring of 2023, she was recognized by the American College Theater Festival for her outstanding work in the dance, directing, and arts administration program. Most recently, Maia was recognized by the Kennedy Center as one of the future leaders in the American Theater, and was asked to join their student advisory board, where she will be responsible for curating more inclusive student programming for their undergraduate and graduate programs.

Maia is currently studying dance at Peck School of the Arts in Milwaukee, WI. In her time off, she throughly enjoys teaching, traveling, drinking British tea, and watching her friends perform. Maia is very excited to be working with the Innovation Show Choir. As well as creating meaningful student based programming, it has been a pleasure working with their board of directors to instill a lifelong appreciation of performance art in student artist across Los Angeles County.

ADDITIONAL STAFF

Sound Engineer - Otto Müller

Videographer -Chad Sano

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mark L. Hummer ✉️

President

Mark L. Hummer’s career as an educator has been strongly informed by his theatre background. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Speech Communication from Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa and a Master’s Degree in Drama from the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas. He has directed various productions for theatre companies within Texas and Colorado.

Upon moving to Los Angeles, he committed himself full-time to his passion for teaching, serving many years as a well-respected fifth-grade teacher. After earning a second master’s degree, in Education Leadership and Policy Studies from California State University, Northridge, he left the classroom to accept a position as Categorical Programs Advisor at Carlson Home Hospital School where he currently oversees the acquisition and expenditure of Title I funding.

Mr. Hummer also greatly enjoys his involvement in a variety of community organizations. He was the founding president of two chapters (a student chapter and an alumni chapter) at CSUN of Pi Lambda Theta, an international honor society, and also served a term as a vice-president on PLT’s International Governing Board. He is on the board of the Silver Lake Improvement Association and served for many years as a Co-Vice President. He most enjoys organizing SLIA’s annual “Music Box Steps Day,” a family festival where young and old alike celebrate the iconic Music Box Steps in Silver Lake where Laurel and Hardy filmed their Oscar winning comedy short, “The Music Box.” And too, he is also on the board of Make Music Los Angeles, one of the constellations of world-wide celebrations of music held annually on the summer solstice that have grown out of the Fête de la Musique in Paris, France.

Mark L. Hummer is honored to be a member of the Board of Directors of the Innovation Show Choir and is looking forward to assisting this outstanding youth performing arts organization continue its mission and reach its full potential.

Frank Kelly

Treasurer

Frank Kelly is an accountant with over 40 years practice in private financial management. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration/Accounting from SUNY Brockport, and an MBA from Loyola Marymount University. He has has served as Controller/CFO in various industries including Aerospace, Engineering, Manufacturing and Distribution.

Mr. Kelly has a special affection for the performing arts, as he was a woodwind instrumentalist through college, participating in concert bands, jazz bands, pit orchestra and private youth groups.

Frank Kelly and his wife April have resided in Santa Clarita since 1986 with two grown children and two wonderful grandchildren.

Monique Williams

Recording Secretary

Monique Williams is currently a music and film industry Executive Assistant. She loves the arts which have been central in her life since her youth. She's played the trumpet, sang in choir, danced, and has been a part of several musical theater productions. Monique is a registrar for Elevate Christian Academy, a homeschool satellite program. As administrator of their enrichment classes, she supports students to explore art, dance, and music. She is mother to 3 wonderful artistic children and continues her passion and support for the arts by joining the board of the Innovation Show Choir.

Krisi Dervin

Community Liaison

Bio pending

Nancy "Dee" Horak

Member at Large

Nancy ‘Dee’ Horak holds a Bachelor of Music and Music Education in Piano and Voice from Kent State University and served two years as Assistant Choral Director at Ohio State University. She is the Executive and Creative Director of D.E.E. Studio Productions Performing Arts in Santa Clarita, California and has been teaching piano and voice to children for over thirty years.

Ms. Horak performs locally at Larsen’s Steakhouse and The Olive Terrace in Santa Clarita and has been a featured performer at venues around the U.S., including the Four Seasons Restaurant in Beverly Hills, the Grand Hotel and the Kitano Hotel in New York City, and three years as a featured performer at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. She is currently preparing a Broadway Revue, Helloooo Broadway!, a fund-raiser for the Parkinson’s Foundation, which is slated to feature actor Michael J. Fox.

Nancy 'Dee' Horak brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the performing arts for youth to the Board of Directors of the Innovation Show Choir and is excited to participate.

ADVISORY BOARD

Julee Brooks

Julee Brooks, Chief Executive Officer, Woodcraft Rangers. Julee joined Woodcraft Rangers in February 2018 with nearly two-decades of experience delivering high-caliber programming for families and guiding family-focused agencies through dynamic organizational growth. Currently, Julee oversees the agency's service to nearly 15,000 young people each year in LA County at 90 schools, including 48 in LAUSD, through afterschool, enrichment, summer learning, and outdoor education programs. Julee is especially honored to guide WR through its Centennial anniversary this year. Before joining Woodcraft Rangers, Ms. Brooks was Executive Director of the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House, Museum Director of the Zimmer Children’s Museum (Los Angeles) and Director of Education at Nashville Children’s Theatre where she led transformational change at each institution. Ms. Brooks holds an MFA in Theatre for Youth from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a BA in Government and Dramatic Arts from Centre College in Kentucky. She lives in Valencia with her husband, two sons and rescue pup.

Tony Brown

Tony Brown has been Executive Director of Heart of Los Angeles since 2006. During that time, Tony has sustainably grown the organization’s annual operating budget from $2.3 million to more than $6.5 million annually and has overseen HOLA's expansion into South Los Angeles, allowing the organization to reach over 74% more underserved children with programs that give them opportunities to realize their full potential. He is also the founding Advisory Board Chair and Governing Board Member of the Los Angeles Expanded Learning Alliance (ExpandLA) where he provides leadership to provide equitable access to high-quality after school educational opportunities to all children in the LA area coordinating, promoting, and advocating for after school providers in obtaining funding and other support for the afterschool sector. Tony has been named as a Distinguished Alumni by the University of Tennessee and Loyola Marymount University and was inducted to the Loyola Marymount University Entrepreneurship Alumni Wall of Honor. Tony holds a BA from Loyola Marymount University, an MS from the University of Tennessee, and was a Graduate Fellow of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business Center for Social Innovation Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders. Tony has enjoyed a long history with music performance having sung on national television and internationally, beginning with the Pasadena Boys Choir and later singing with former LA Master Chorale Conductor, Paul Salamunovich when he conducted the Loyola Marymount University Choral Program.