Curriculum
The curriculum of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy is divided into three distinct categories of study:
1. Interdisciplinary Artistic Studies
The Interdisciplinary (ID) course at Missouri Fine Arts Academy
- Is facilitated by a team of teachers from different artistic disciplines
- Is composed of a student group, including artists from various disciplines, that stay together throughout the duration of the class
- Revolves around a broad theme that embraces all of the following disciplines: vocal music, instrumental music, visual arts, theatre, and dance
- Provides all students with active participation experiences in each of these disciplines, facilitated by peers and by teachers with artistic expertise
- Allows student to shape, in great measure, the course experiences
- Recognizes the facilitators have valuable experience, insights, knowledge, and talents
- Includes a concept-based interdisciplinary presentation that encompasses student participation in all the fine arts areas and addresses the broad theme
- Culminates in an evaluation session that includes evaluation of the presentations themselves, group processes, and student learning
Each student will spend every class day morning working in an innovative course of an interdisciplinary nature.
Each interdisciplinary group is composed of about 25 students, including vocalists, instrumentalists, visual artists, dancers, and actors. Each group experience is facilitated by two faculty members with specialties in different artistic disciplines. Students and facilitators in each group work collaboratively to explore a single broad theme. The process of exploration naturally involves students’ participation in experiences that meet Missouri’s performance standards for students in its schools
- Gather, analyze and apply information and ideas
- Communicate effectively within and beyond the classroom
- Recognize and solve problems
- Make decision and act as responsible members of society
Each of the five interdisciplinary groups creates a unique presentation that illustrates the Academy theme and that incorporates all the artistic disciplines represented at the Academy. These presentations are shared with the rest of the Academy community. A reflection and evaluation session follows the presentations.
Course Objectives (.doc, 39K)
Rationale, Plan and Strategies (.doc, 46K)
Course Descriptions
Lineage
(Visual Arts + Vocal Music)
Faculty: Prof. Kevin Hughes and Dr. Heather Nelson
Charles Simonds, a 20th-century artist whose clay work was based on mythology of Body/Earth/Landscape/Dwelling, created works of art that made the viewer question their relationship to their own body and to the earth. What relationship did the earth and body have in common? Was the body a landscape, earth, or both? Is the body a dwelling? From Simonds mythology three branches of “little peoples” existed: The Linear, The Circular, and The Spiral. In the evenings Simonds would model small clay bricks in his New York City apartment. During the day he would construct the remnants of one of the little peoples’ dwellings in the urban decay of the lower East side. Lineage would challenge the performing and visual art students to work together to create the mythology of a people(s) and manifest their culture through music, movement, the written word, and visual art.
Expanding Our Experience
(Instrumental Music + Visual Arts)
Faculty: Jacob Hiser and Erin Tyler
Through a series of interdisciplinary exercises, we will expand our understanding of what art is and how it can be approached. By participating in activities such as deep listening, chance-based artmaking, found object soundscapes, writing prompts and group improvisational acting we will equip ourselves with ways to creatively experience life, drawing connections across artistic disciplines. As a final project, students will work together to formulate unique creative expressions incorporating multiple artistic disciplines that tell a story, evoke an emotion, raise questions, and/or disrupt the norm.
Artistic Responses
(Instrumental Music + Creative Writing)
Faculty: Dr. Perry Mears and Gemma Blackburn
Students in this course will explore a variety of creative works that respond to existing art and they will create art responding to personal experience. Through practicing communication skills and critical thinking, students will hone their own artistic voice and develop an understanding of ethics in creative endeavors.
Industry Workshop and Scene Study
(Theatre/Vocal Music and Special Guests)
Faculty: Laine Cordell
Young artists will explore how to give a strong audition on film, how to market themselves as a well-rounded professional, how to build a resume, understand typecasting, and focus on the fundamentals of film acting, screen tests, improv, and the art of building a scene. This course will feature guest artists and give ample opportunities for in-depth industry Q & A's.
Experimental Musical Theatre
(Instrumental Music + Theatre)
Faculty: Dr. Jason Hausback and Michael Butcher
Students from all disciplines can play an integral role in the process of creating a storyline, staging the scene, performing the roles, and playing and creating the music for an original production by the end of the academy. We will work through the stages of analyzing various musicals, making creative discoveries through various exercises, while working through the process of creation in a realistic workshop environment.
Art as Equity
(Vocal Music + Visual Arts)
Faculty: Tanner Munson and Rick Briggenhorst
Historically, art has played a critical role in protest movements and the fight to achieve equity in the United States and globally. Whether through music, poems, paintings or other forms of creative expression, art has been at the core of efforts to express emotion, communicate difficult concepts, ignite action, and change what seems impossible. Art has been particularly important in illustrating how it feels to experience privilege or oppression and exploring the implications of policies and practices that affect us indirectly or directly. In this course, we delve into several arts-based examples that demonstrate how art provides insights, observations, and offers strategies to address inequalities in our world and begin to shape change. “Creating for a Better World: Art as Equity” empowers students to recognize the impact they and their creativity can have on the world around them. By collaborating across disciplines, students will develop a project that impacts positive change in their MFAA experience or beyond. The ending result could be an immersive experience, performance, zine, video, etc.
Ama-ZINE: Collaborative Art & Writing
(Visual Arts + Creative Writing)
Faculty: Meganne Rosen and Shaylin Montgomery
In this interdisciplinary course, art and writing students team up to create a collaborative
zine that amplifies their unique voices through visual storytelling and creative writing.
Students will explore the art of zine-making, from concept development and page design
to writing, illustration, and layout. Through workshops and critiques, they will experiment
with mixed media, comics, poetry, essays, and more. The course culminates in a printed
and digital zine that showcases their collective creativity, emphasizing collaboration,
self-expression, and DIY publishing culture.
2. Discipline-Specific Artistic Studies
Each student is placed in a class focusing on the discipline in which they were accepted to the Academy:
- Creative Writing
- Theatre Studies
- Instrumental Music
- Visual Arts
- Vocal Music
Course Descriptions
Creative Writing
Free Verse Universe
Instructor: Gemma Blackburn
This course will enable students to analyze, write, prepare, and ultimately perform original free-verse poetry through an array of collaborative activities, group discussions, and individual writing prompts. After studying the foundational concepts of written-style verse, students will be empowered to develop writing and delivery styles that draw upon their unique voices and talents to create powerful performative works.
Storytelling with Blake Snyder's "Save the Cat!"
Instructor: Shaylin Montgomery
In 2005, Blake Snyder took the writing world by storm with the publication of a book entitled "Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need." This book offered tips for writing great stories using a formula that was flexible enough to accommodate whatever wild adventures authors could imagine but structured enough to ward off that ever-present evil: Writer’s Block. Over the years, the principles outlined in Snyder’s text have been applied to a variety of storytelling mediums—from film to TV to novels, and so much more! In this class, student writers will learn about "Save the Cat!" storytelling as they write "Save the Cat!" stories of their own. (NOTE: Writers of all genres—fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and more—can benefit from an understanding of this process.)
Music - Instrumental
Eyes and Ears: Hearing What You See, Seeing What You Hear
Instructor: Dr. Perry Mears
This course will focus on developing audiation skill for musicians of stripes. Through composition, singing, sight reading, and active listening, we will explore ways to connect hearing, seeing and music making.
Instrumental Music w/ Dr. Hausback
Instructor: Dr. Jason Hausback
This course covers many aspects of instrumental music including music theory, form and analysis, the building blocks of musical improvisation, as well as specific instrumental coaching.
Instrumental Music w/ Mr. Hiser
Instructor: Jacob Hiser
Students in this course will develop critical listening skills, perform for each other, practice giving/receiving constructive critiques, explore alternative forms of notation, discuss practice techniques and music theory/history, and more.
Music - Vocal
Excavating You: Finding Authenticity in Vocal Performance
Instructor: Tanner Munson
Students will engage in practice techniques that helps enhance their vocal technique, stage presence, and bring their authentic selves to each performance. Throughout the course students will perform and workshop a song with master teachers, have audition opportunities, and find additional repertoire to add to their book.
From the Page to the Stage
Instructor: Dr. Heather Nelson
Singing is communication, and beyond the notes and rhythms, effectively performing a song includes acting, musicality and connection to the text. In this course, singers will take a song from the beginning learning stages to an effective performance in an accelerated timeline. Singers should bring three songs with them in various stages of learning, but will also have access to scores available through the Missouri State University library.
Theatre Studies
Safe Spaces for the Actor
Instructor: Laine Cordell
Monologue and scene work focused on character development, authentic storytelling, and how to navigate through self-doubt, fear, and neurodivergence. We will create a safe space for creativity to flourish and encourage each student’s growth by identifying individual strengths and supporting weaknesses, in order to build confidence and personal identity. We will also focus on discovering one’s individual voice, particularly in uncomfortable situations. “No” is always a full sentence, and students will be safe to explore vulnerable emotions without feeling exposed or uncomfortable.
Acting
Instructor: Michael Butcher
Students will be actively engaged in a variety of acting techniques and strategies to develop the four innate attributes of an actor: imagination, concentration, vulnerability, and childlike innocence.
Visual Arts
Drawing Everyday Translation: Process, Image and Play
Instructor: Erin Tyler
This course is designed for students who are eager to push their creative practice. Through a series of fast-paced, hands-on challenges, students will transform images using abstraction, collage, juxtaposition, and chance-based processes. Along the way, we’ll explore core principles of design and the elements of art, while also diving into contemporary topics like appropriation, copyright, Creative Commons, and public-domain imagery—essential knowledge for artists working today. Students will be encouraged to experiment, take creative risks, and incorporate unfamiliar processes into their work in order to develop a stronger personal visual language. The course culminates in a final project where students digitize their artwork and re-imagine it as a professional-quality album cover of their choice, bridging physical making with digital design and contemporary visual culture.
Make Your Mark: Mural Design and Collaboration
Instructor: Meganne Rosen
In this discipline-specific visual arts course, students will engage in the full process of creating a public art mural in collaboration with the Springfield Parks Department. From initial concept to actually painting the mural, students will learn how to develop and propose a design for a public art commission, respond to feedback, and adapt their ideas for a real-world setting. Emphasizing teamwork and professional practice, the class will work collectively to scale and paint the mural on panels that will be permanently installed in a public space. Through this experience, students will gain insight into the social impact of public art while building skills in collaboration, design, and large-scale painting.
Wabi-Sabi and Clay: Exploring an Aesthetic of Uniqueness in Clay and Life
Instructor: Kevin Hughes
“Wabi-Sabi and Clay” will incorporate the Japanese concept of “finding beauty in imperfection” while exploring a variety of hands-on methods of forming clay vessels. In the Western Hemisphere we are driven by the “concept” of perfection which is reinforced in our daily lives by heavily filtered images, musical performances that are lip-synced on “live” programs, and mass-produced machine-made objects devoid of blemishes.
Flatpack Sculptures
Instructor: Rick Briggenhorst
Have you ever opened a package to a piece of furniture to be met with many flat shapes destined to be put together via instructions and patience? What if we took that same idea, and utilized it for our own art making? That's what this course will delve into, the idea of "flatpack sculptures." Inspired by Diane Simpson's work , we will explore how 2D shapes become physical 3D forms, to then be sculptural pieces of art by working with digital tools (Illustrator, CO2 Laser Cutter). No experience with Illustrator is required, but basic computer skills are highly recommended.
3. Elective Classes
Each student takes two elective classes; one "A" Day elective, one "B" Day elective. Students may use the course selection form to submit their top three course choices for each elective period.
— "A" Day Electives —
Basic Bookbinding
Instructor: Erin Tyler
Books are more than just objects—they're experiences. In this hands-on workshop, students will explore the art of bookbinding, discovering how the form, sequence, and interaction of pages can shape a book’s purpose and meaning. We'll start by examining unique book designs and discussing how intention drives their creation, whether for sketching, journaling, or scrapbooking. Participants will then set their own creative intentions, collect and prepare materials, and experiment with basic bookbinding techniques to craft their own personalized notebook. The final session will be dedicated to filling and working in their handmade journals, transforming them into dynamic spaces for creative expression. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your imagination and a willingness to explore!
Category: Visual Arts
Diction for Dummies: A Look at Italian, Latin and German
Instructor: Tanner Munson
Three of the most common languages sung in vocal music are Italian, Latin and German. Often, we are at the mercy of our teachers to help us figure out the pronunciation. The goal of this course is to empower students with a general overview of the International Phonetic Alphabet to assist with decoding the pronunciation rules of these languages.
Category: Vocal Music
Fun with Improv
Instructor: Michael Butcher
Students will learn basic improvisational techniques while participating in improvised activities.
Category: Theatre Studies
Hump/Slump/Pattern: How to Make Functional Ceramics by Hand
Instructor: Kevin Hughes
This course will provide the participants with an opportunity to learn how to create functional pottery without learning the basics of throwing on the potter’s wheel. Hump/Slump forms are items from everyday life that can be used to support wet clay as is dries into the form that you have imparted to it. They can also be made from common materials like the blue or pink stiff foam insulation installed on the exterior of walls under the sheathing materials. This provides the individual a freedom to create their own designs of forms to create. Patterns like those used in sewing can be made from paper or roofing felt to create functional pottery forms. Other sewing techniques like “darting” can be used to create asymmetrical forms that visually reference qualities of whimsical movement and appear to be animated.
Category: Visual Arts
Practice 101
Instructor: Dr. Perry Mears
In this course, students will learn various methods of practice, how to implement them, and how to match an appropriate practice strategy for a particular musical or artistic challenge. Practice strategies will be demonstrated and workshopped. In addition, students will learn about the practice routines of artists past and present, exploring ways to develop their own routines.
Category: Instrumental Music
— "B" Day Electives —
Audition Prep Workshop
Instructor: Laine Cordell
Creating a usable book for auditions whether they be musical theatre or acting portfolios. How to make yourself marketable without sacrificing individuality. Students can use this time to workshop scene work, monologues, and hone their song choices for musical theatre auditions.
Cateogry: Theatre Studies / Vocal Music
The Business of Art
Instructor: Dr. Heather Nelson
Doing art as a career is more than creating the art. In this course, we will discuss various aspects of owning a business, from marketing to handling money. Topics will include branding, how to build a presence in the marketplace, taxes, pricing, logos, and maintaining healthy boundaries as a business owner. Students should consider bringing a laptop or a phone with internet capabilities for in-class research.
Category: Vocal Music
Improvisation in Music
Instructor: Jacob Hiser
That phrase "music is the universal language" may seem cliché, but current music education practices tend to focus solely on being able to read the written language of music. When it comes to spoken languages, reading is an important skill, but the majority of our communication is through listening and speaking. We originally learn to speak by listening to what we hear and imitating it, eventually internalizing the words until we can communicate our own thoughts. To become fluent improvisers, musicians must build their lexicon of musical "words" by critically listening to and internalizing a wide variety of music by ear. Once a vocabulary is established, the improvisers then work to "speak" their own ideas in a clear, coherent way in any musical situation they find themselves in. In this course, we will listen closely to excerpts from classical, jazz, rock, and folk traditions, and learn them by ear, building our musical vocabulary and understanding of each genre's internal logic. Using that vocabulary and understanding, we will improvise as a group, arrange previously existing music, and compose new pieces and improvisatory structures. We will also explore improvisation beyond the boundaries of genre, experimenting with unfamiliar sounds, atypical formal structures, and using extra-musical materials as prompts for improvisation/composition. Knowledge of music theory is helpful, but not necessary. All instrumentalists and vocalists are welcome.
Category: Instrumental Music
BLACK MIRROR: Video and Sound Art Collages
Instructor: Rick Briggenhorst
As our relationship with technology is everchanging, so are we. In a post-human world, one that is so near/here, we take solace in forever being connected to intangible forces; but we mustn't forget what is still here. Utilizing video and sound as mediums, we will work together to develop short and poetic artworks that aim to disrupt our consumer-centric mindset in regard to moving images. We will primarily use our cellphones and Adobe® Premiere as tools to achieve this. No experience with this software is required, but basic computer skills are highly recommended..
Category: Visual Arts
Publishing Process
Instructor: Shaylin Montgomery
Lots of students want to become published writers, and lots of publications are looking for teen writers to publish. Unfortunately, these two groups seldom meet. In this course, students will learn about the publishing process—from locating a potential publisher (or agent) to submitting a query letter and manuscript—with one ultimate goal in mind: to successfully submit a query letter to at least one publisher or agent.
Category: Creative Writing
Weaving in the Wild
Instructor: Meganne Rosen
In this course students will learn about the history of weaving and how it connects us all globally. We will explore different kinds of weaving including frame, stick, and kumihimo weaving.
Category: Visual Arts