Music Teachers
Mrs. Tori Walls, West View Elementary Music Teacher and Choral Director, Accompanist for District Six Honors Chorus
Tori Walls grew up in the upstate of South Carolina and enjoyed playing and singing music with her family from a very young age around the piano at home and at church. She graduated from Converse College in 2012 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and an emphasis in piano performance. She is a former piano student of Dr. Douglas Weeks and oboe student of Dr. Kelly Vaneman. While at Converse she performed as a solo pianist, accompanist, oboist, and vocalist.
She has an endorsement for teaching Gifted and Talented education and is currently pursuing her Master Degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Missouri. She began teaching General Music in Spartanburg School District Six in 2012, and has taught at many schools including Lone Oak Elementary, Anderson Mill Elementary, Woodland Heights Elementary, and the District Six Child Development Center. She was named the 2016-2017 Lone Oak Elementary School Teacher of the Year. Aside from teaching elementary students, Mrs. Walls enjoys accompanying on piano for various students and ensembles throughout District Six at Solo and Ensemble, musicals, and other performances.
In her spare time, Mrs. Walls enjoys crafting, sewing, and spending time with her husband, Jesse, and their lovable rescue dog, Rumple. In 2019 she and her husband welcomed a baby boy, and just this September a beautiful baby girl!
Mrs. Vicki Bishop, Anderson Mill Elementary Music Teacher and Choral Director,
Director of Elementary Music, Spartanburg District Six
Vicki Bishop has been teaching Elementary Music in Spartanburg County for almost thirty years. She loves teaching children using her 3 E’s motto “Energy, Excitement and Enthusiasm!” She believes her teaching mission is to engage students in making music that is fun, exciting and expressive. Currently she enjoys teaching primary and intermediate classes at Anderson Mill Elementary School. She was previously a traveling music teacher at both Roebuck and Lone Oak Elementary Schools.
Mrs. Bishop is a Dorman graduate and holds a Bachelor Degree in Music Education from Converse College, as well as a Master Degree in Music Education from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She has an additional certification in Elementary Education, as well as a Gifted and Talented Education Endorsement. She is also a National Board Certified Teacher in Early and Middle Childhood Music.
Mrs. Bishop is a member of the American Choral Director's Association, Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, and a District Six Representative of the Kennedy Center Partner's in Education Program. She was named Teacher of the Year twice: Houston Elementary School in 1995-96, as well as Anderson Mill's first Teacher of the Year when the school opened in 1998-1999.
In addition to her teaching duties, Mrs. Bishop coordinates the Elementary Music Department, Music Visions Program, and District Six Elementary Honors Chorus. In the 2000's before her daughter was born, she taught Music for the Elementary Child at Converse College, as an Adjunct Professor.
Mrs. Bishop lives in Roebuck with her husband Brent and daughter Chloe. She enjoys watching her daughter swim in area swim meets, traveling with her family, playing piano, singing in church choir, and doting on her pets.
Mrs. Kristen Laing, Music Teacher and Choral Director, Orff Certified,
Lone Oak and Fairforest Elementary Schools
Kristen Laing, a South Carolina native, teaches music at Lone Oak Elementary and Fairforest Elementary. She has enjoyed a varied music teaching career for over twenty years. She received her undergraduate degrees in both Flute Performance and Music Education from Louisiana State University, and her Masters in Music Education from the University of Missouri. She has maintained a private studio teaching flute, piano, guitar, and ukelele for 25 years, taught elementary music in the Columbia, MO public school system, and founded a preschool music program for the residents of Hastings, NE while residing there. She is very happy to be back home in South Carolina!
She served on the Columbia Public Schools district curriculum committee for two years, and helped to create the district’s revised curriculum to align with the national standards and create varied assessment techniques for music educators. She was nominated as Columbia’s Outstanding Teacher of the Year in both 2004 & 2006. While Kristen is Orff trained and certified, she also loves to incorporate Kodaly methodologies in the classroom. She is currently pursuing her Gifted and Talented Endorsement, along with a Masters in Gifted and Talented.
Kristen and her husband, Dan (who also teaches music in District 6), live in Greer. They have two children: Parker and Emma (plus a puppy named Penny).
Mrs. Miranda Perry, STEAM Music Teacher and Choral Director, Roebuck Elementary School
Miranda Perry is the music teacher at Roebuck Elementary School. She teaches using the STEAM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math), incorporating math skills when teaching students to count rhythms and phrases.
She joined the District Six faculty in 2017. In addition to teaching music at Roebuck Elementary Mrs. Perry is the Intermediate Band Director at the Lawson Academy of the Arts at Converse College. Mrs. Perry has a full studio of private students who consistently earn top ratings in local, regional, state, and national competitions. Before working in District Six Mrs. Perry worked five years as the music teacher at Advent Children’s Center.
Mrs. Perry earned her Bachelor’s Degree in music education from Converse College. Her professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Educators, South Carolina Music Educators Association, as well as the American Choral Directors Association. Mrs. Perry enjoys performing regularly at her Church as well as playing professional performances around the area. Mrs. Perry enjoys traveling the world with her husband Dalton Perry, and they recently welcomed a baby boy in 2020. Along with her family, music and travel are her biggest passions in life.
Ms. Kelly Moore, STEAM Music Teacher and Choral Director, Fairforest Elementary School
Kelly Moore, a native of Anderson, S.C., grew up in a musical family. From a young age, she and her sister sang in church, where their dad (Lane Moore, retired Dorman H.S. choral director) was the chancel choir and handbell choir director and mom was in the adult chancel choir. A product of Anderson D4 schools, she participated in concert chorus, played flute in concert band, and was in marching band color guard for 4 years and marched flute for 1 year. In Jr. High and Sr. High, she had the honor of being selected for SCMEA All-State Chorus and All-State Band. She credits her parents, her flute teacher, Rhea Jacobus, and her voice teacher, Peggy Kelley, for helping develop her confidence in performing and giving support in her early years of studying music.
Ms. Moore earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Converse College, where she studied voice with Dr. Susan Lyle. She was a member of Delta Omicron Music Fraternity, served as President of the college chapter in her senior year, and after graduation served as Province President for several years. She earned her Master of Music Education degree from Boston University and also received Orff I certification through B.U. She began teaching in Spartanburg D6 in 2000; first at Arcadia and Lone Oak Elementary schools and currently Fairforest Elementary.
At Fairforest, she teaches students to count and read rhythms, emphasizing math skills as part of the STEAM approach (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math). She especially enjoys teaching fifth graders how to play recorders and count rhythms.
Her professional affiliations include the American Choral Directors Association and the National Association for Music Educators (SCMEA). Ms. Moore was invited into the Alpha Mu chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, an international organization for women educators, in 2005. In her 12 years as an Alpha Mu member, she has served as chair of the Personal & Professional Growth committee, 1st Vice President, and President. She is currently the Immediate Past President of Alpha Mu and serves on the Alpha Eta State Historical committee.
In her personal time, she enjoys singing and ringing handbells at Trinity UMC; serving as a freelance soloist at churches, for weddings, and other events; singing with Cecelia’s Day (a semi-professional vocal ensemble) at the Biltmore House; being a part of a book club and participating in the adult summer reading challenge at the library; traveling whenever possible; and Face-Timing with her niece and nephew (although true face to face time with family is the best!).
- Pure-N-Heart (Tri-State Children/Teen Choir) Recording (2009/2010, 2017)
- “Greater” – Recording by Antrina Miller (2010)
- “Music with the Master’s Purpose in Mind” – Recording by Pastor James Resse (Evangel Cathedral of Spartanburg, SC) (2002-2003)
After graduating from Dorman, Mrs. Stansell attended Anderson University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2014. Following graduation, she began her teaching career in District Six. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree from USC Upstate in Early Childhood Education.
In her spare time, Mrs. Stansell loves spending time with her best friend and husband, Michael. She also enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors, being active and travelling. Her favorite place to be is in a kayak on a lake, river, or on ocean.
Will Sinclair graduated from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 2012 with a degree in Piano Performance: Jazz Studies. He has a Masters in Music Education from Converse College in 2018. He teaches private piano and voice lessons. He enjoys accompanying church choirs and playing piano in local jazz bands in the upstate area, as a freelance musician. He also often accompanies for the District Six Elementary Honors Chorus as well as the Dorman Singers.
Additionally, Mr. Sinclair is an adjunct professor at University of South Carolina Upstate where he teaches classes in Pop/Jazz piano.
In his spare time he enjoys working on his farm with his wife, son and daughter.
Mrs. Katie Smith, STEAM Music Teacher, RES, Itinerant Music Teacher and Choral Director, AMES and FFES
