About

I absolutely attribute my success in my employment at both of my jobs to the leadership skills that I learned as an RA at the Academy.  At MFAA, I learned about the importance of non-profits in our society, and I definitely gained an interest in working with non-profit organizations and giving back to the community.  At Choristers Guild, our mission is to encourage spiritual growth in children and youth through music.  When children are able to grow through music and the arts they are able to be better students, family members, and team players.

I am the head of the Musicianship Department at American Musical & Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in Los Angeles.  Music students, acting students and dance students from all over the world attend our conservatories in New York and Los Angeles-students from Italy, Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Japan, Australia, Great Britain, Canada and elsewhere.  This past fall, Tabitha Carroll, a recent alumna of MFAA, began studying at AMDA-LA.  I was very excited to meet her and hear her stories about MFAA-she said it changed her life.  During that three-week period, Tabitha discovered the depth of her passion for the arts-and decided to pursue a career in performing.

I was born and reared in Missouri, and since the moment I first heard about MFAA, I've been so proud of my home state for supporting young artists in this way.  It's been a tremendous investment in the future-not only for the students involved, but for the society as a whole-at all levels:  local, state, national, world.  Every part of a culture is enriched when artistic individuals are encouraged to use their gifts.   When involved in the arts, students do better in school, they become happier, more fulfilled adults, they learn to use time constructively-and they become terrific examples/role models for others.

On and on go the powerful arguments (old and new) in favor of arts education funding-BUT-the trusted icon Walter Cronkite probably made the best case-when he noted that in modern times, we've lost or forgotten almost everything about ancient cultures-except their contributions to the arts.  This is what has lasted through the ages-this is what has 'mattered' in the big picture. I was very distressed to hear that MFAA funding is in danger again.  Please keep investing in the future of these arts students, the future of Missouri and the future of the arts.  It is not a waste of money-it is one of the most efficient, productive uses of money I can imagine.  Please keep funding MFAA.

I have lectured at MFAA.  It is an exciting educational opportunity for the school children of the state of Missouri and deserves your continued support.  Not all attendees of the MFAA will become professional artists but many will become teachers, volunteers, and community activists in Missouri.  They will be employed by your fine tourist and entertainment industry. They will work at your schools and in local arts programs sharing their gifts with their communities and enhancing the quality of life of many Missouri towns.   Lessons learned at MFAA will help them in problem solving and other skills that they will apply to their academics.  Not only does MFAA merit your continued support but it should serve as a model for other disciplines such as math, science and engineering.

I am an actor working and living in Los Angeles. I'm also an MSU graduate and grew up in St. Louis County. I have seen first-hand how the Fine Arts Academy is life-changing to many of the students attending. I have on several occasions given workshops there and have seen some of these amazing, talented kids realize for the first time that they can actually make a living at what they love to do. Some students come from very small towns and are alone in their love for the arts. The Academy opened up a world for them that they thought didn't exist. It is the best possible way Missouri can spend its money.

The single best thing about the Academy was that everyone cared about the Academy and truly cared about the students.

We'll know if the Missouri Fine Arts Academy is successful if this generation of MFAA students use what they've learned to improve their community.

[My daughter went into MFAA] creative and enthusiastic and came out inspired, more open-minded and well rounded, and more mature. [She] loved every minute with MFAA and I am proud and thankful that she was lucky enough to have been a part of it.

[Three MFAA classmates] participated in the Polar Bear Plunge at the Lake of the Ozarks. We did our best to represent MFAA as we ran screaming into the water! MFAA was such an amazing experience for us that we wanted to give back to the community in some way. The three of us were able to raise around $600.00 for Special Olympics of Missouri.

I found out in April that I was accepted into New University's Tisch School of the Arts (Stella Adler Conservatory) and will be attending with at least two other MFAAs. I know for a fact that MFAA is what made this achievement possible for me, and that it inspired the confidence in many of us to take our careers to the next level. Thank you. The tremendous task that the faculty and staff of the Academy take on each year benefits all the artists lucky enough to be accepted. Without the classes I took and the people I met at MFAA, I never would have thought seriously about theatre as a career.

Here at the Academy, we've inspired each other and made unique connections with each other that we will never be able to describe to anyone . . . , but we will always have one thing that keeps us forever bonded: our responsibility as artists. We've all learned here that we are blessed with wonderful gifts and talents, and it is our responsibility to share them with the world. . . . Make the connection.

Halfway through the second week, I got the phone call that every parent wants to hear. My usually reserved teenage boy was literally breathless from trying to tell me all the experiences he was having. It was less 'this is what we are doing' and more 'this is what we are all feeling.' At one point he said, 'I love every second of every minute of every hour of every day here.' It dawned on me that homesickness was not going to be our demon, but leaving the Academy would be.

Thank you for providing me with such an amazing educational opportunity. I view the day I received my letter of acceptance to the Fine Arts Academy as the greatest day of my life. The first occurred at the end of March this year when I received my letter of acceptance into New York University's Steinhardt School of Education for jazz performance. I know that without attending the Fine Arts Academy I would never have had the confidence in my abilities and talent to pursue music professionally.

I dream about the Academy sometimes, both from being on staff and a student. I can't decide where I learned more. I think the Academy, with the interdisciplinary events especially, really plants a seed in good artists.

The type of educator I want to be is a life changer. Simple as that. I want to inspire and provoke incentive. I want to spark and invigorate. I want my students to be able to think critically. I want learning to happen in ways that my students have never experienced before. I want to be the type of teacher that MFAA has always, always instilled in me to be.

I'm glad to hear that you have received funding for next year's MFAA. The continuation of your program ensures that there will be . . . more people armed with the knowledge that they are not like everyone else-that they are blessed with the gifts that they have, and that it is not only important, it's imperative that they share them with others. In my short life of big moments, I consider MFAA to be the biggest. It was truly a turning point in my life, and it absolutely was one of the biggest forces in shaping the woman I am today. In addition to the emphasis on outreach, I also grew as a performing artist. I was encouraged to excel at the things I was good at, and to explore the things I was not. . . . I made life long friends during those three short weeks. The people I met were some of the most talented, loving, kind, giving, compassionate, intelligent and caring artists I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

I look at the website every summer and feel nostalgic about my years there as a student, RA, and RA Director. . . . It was an amazing part of my life. I am graduating medical school in May. . . . With some time to reflect recently, I realize how important the arts still are to me and I know that they will significantly impact the way I practice medicine. I'll always be an advocate for the arts. . . and I'll likely be in Missouri for quite a while. You can always count on me for a letter to my senators/representatives!!

2006 was a crazy year for me. I went on a national tour, did two Shakespeare plays, went to Bermuda, Vienna, and Prague. . . and will be going to Amsterdam in August to teach an acting workshop. . . . I still count MFAA as my biggest influence on my as an artist. I'm so glad that you are still giving that experience to kids. They will be so grateful . . . as I am.

My daughter, Morgan Dameron, attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy last summer. I thought you should be aware of what I consider a truly remarkable connection that was made there.

Morgan met a student named Katie Coble from the Kansas City area. Morgan was so taken by a self-portrait that Katie brought to the Academy, she asked if she could make a movie about the painting. So after the Academy, Morgan made a movie for a local Independent Film contest. The contest, called "Every Picture Tells a Story," asks the filmmaker to take a piece of art and, through film, tell its story. Katie was in the film along with other local students. Morgan entered the film in the contest and won 2nd place....this is an adult venue where Morgan is the only student. I thought that was a remarkable connection.

This year I have returned to teaching at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, where Katie goes to school. The entire school (2035 students) viewed the film and were told about MFAA. Morgan's school, Pembroke Hill, will be featuring her film in their school's Arts Festival in October. They will have a "cinema" where students and parents can view it.
Thanks for all you do for the kids. Their connections and experiences do make a difference!

I am writing to express my appreciation for the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. As I anticipated, (my student) reported having "the greatest experience of my life." She has had limited opportunities to develop her artistic talents. The Fine Arts Academy exposed her to new areas of art, inspired her to continue pursuing her artistic goals, and introduced her to faculty and peers who enriched her character. I am grateful to the faculty and staff of the Fine Arts Academy, DESE, and the General Assembly for providing this high quality program for the exceptionally talented students of Missouri. As one local school administrator, I can testify that the Fine Arts Academy is making a very significant contribution to the lives of Missouri students.