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Curriculum

Development Goals | Guides | Categories of Study

Development Goals

The Missouri Fine Arts Academy has two clearly defined professional development goals:

To encourage local schools to establish and/or improve programs for artistically gifted youth
To provide leadership in curriculum development, teacher training, and the development of special materials and teaching strategies that employ interdisciplinary arts instruction to improve education within artistic disciples and the wider curriculum

In an effort to reach these goals, the faculty of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy has adopted a standardized curriculum form that meets the requirements of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

The Missouri Fine Arts Curriculum Guide

Provides a course description and rationale
Defines measurable student objectives
Links each objective to state and national fine arts standards
Links each objective to Bloom’s taxonomy, which identifies the objective’s highest level of learning
Links each objective to suggested method(s) of assessment
Provides daily lesson plans
Links each daily lesson with one or more learning styles, as identified by Howard Gardner
Links each daily lesson with measurable objective(s)

Guides may also contain:

Assessment tools
Resource materials
Pictures of student processes and commentary

Curricular Guides:
(format: Microsoft® Word .doc)

These courses were designed for high school students, but skilled teachers will be able to adapt curriculum to meet their own students’ levels and needs. Missouri Fine Arts faculty whose work is represented here are happy to share their curriculum and welcome questions and feedback, especially from those who have adapted Missouri Fine Arts Academy curricular guides for use in their own classrooms. Contact us regarding the Missouri Fine Arts Academy curriculum by emailing the instructors at their addresses listed on the curriculum guide or by contacting Julie Bloodworth, Director at JulieBloodworth@missouristate.edu or 417-836-6607.

Categories of Study

The curriculum of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy is divided into three distinct categories of study:

Interdisciplinary Artistic Studies
Applied Studies
Coursework Related to Artistic Disciplines — Dance, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts

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 33 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 six 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)

2. Applied Studies

All Academy students participate in applied lessons and/or classes.

Applied Dance Course

Applied Dance: Ballet and Modern Dance (Barnes, Ollington, Rieger)
This course is a dancer's workshop emphasizing modern and ballet technique. These two techniques will be taught on alternating days. Students will develop a structural understanding of how the body initiates and performs movement and will discover personal and dynamic body alignment. They will also develop physical stamina, strength, flexibility, articulation, coordination, musicality, and phrasing. Through this training, dancers will find themselves grounded, centered, and secure. In conjunction with these physical and intellectual pursuits, they will explore the performance energy that goes beyond the body; call it "stage presence," or "projection." Proper alignment and safe anatomical execution of ballet will be emphasized, along with terminology. Modern dance technique may be less familiar to most students than is ballet. In modern dance technique class, strengthening the core and lengthening through the spine and appendages are primary. Based in the concept of Fall and Recovery, this athletic style of dance emphasizes grounding and gaining energy from the earth into full-out momentum and locomotion. Musicality and phrasing are emphasized to assist in capturing the largest dynamic range.

Applied Music Courses

Applied Instrumental Studies (Castrey, Esler, Polett, Schultz)
Instrumental music study explores a musician's delicate balance between artistic utterance as an interpreter and technical mastery as a virtuoso. The topics will include interpretation, communication through sound, psychology of music and practice, peer observance/criticism (exploring the artistic and learning experience through others’ performances), performance (master class sessions) and presentation. Classes will be informal seminars.

Applied Vocal Studies (Graber, Lein)
This course will explore the psychological and kinesthetic skill sets that contribute to success as a professional singer. Even for students whose aspirations don't include singing as a vocation, the skills and experiences in this course will add to students' confidence and enjoyment. Vocal mechanism, connection of the body to the voice, basics of diction, and song interpretation are investigated, along with discussions on topics such as vocal health, practice techniques and score preparation.

Applied Theatre Course

Acting: Real World, Real Character (McTier, A. Joyce, S. Joyce)
This course will provide practical application of Acting, Voice, & Movement techniques. We will not use tradition scene work. Instead we move from basic concepts to realization. Drawn from a variety of master teachers and acting methods, these tools will include listening (with eyes and body, as well as ears), relationships with others, playing actions rather than emotions, making dynamic physical choices, and- most importantly-living one moment at a time. We begin with no text, move to ensemble created text, and then finally incorporate pre-existing text. There will also be 3 Master Classes that will cover the following: Auditioning, College Prep, Actors Equity Association and the World of the Professional Actor.

Applied Visual Art Course

Principles of Design (Cline, Jaeger, Land, Mai, Squires, Zubko)
Principles of Design is the required core curriculum for visual arts students at the Missouri fine Arts Academy. In small groups, students will experiment with color, form, and time via two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and digital-based media. Using both individual and collaborative approaches, students will explore the roles that composition, context, and intention play in creative processes

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3. Coursework Related to Artistic Disciplines

Each Academy student takes two courses from those listed below.
(afternoon classes)

DANCE | MUSIC | THEATRE | VISUAL ART

DANCE

Choreographic Rehearsal (Barnes, Ollington, Rieger)
The MFAA dance faculty will teach choreography and work with students to facilitate the creation of dances. Each faculty member will work on a separate project. Each dance student will be assigned to choreographic rehearsal for one of the following projects and each group will perform pieces as "Works in Progress.” • Ruth Barnes will use Aurora (2009) as the starting point. The existing movement vocabulary will be adapted for the students in the class, creating a similar but different dance for a new group of dancers. The title refers to the Aurora Borealis – a natural phenomenon that shimmers and dances in the northern sky. • David Ollington will make use of improvisational structures and choreographed phrases, giving students the opportunity to explore the creation of movement, both individually and in groups. • Susan Rieger will be resetting a work entitled Resilience to traditional Indonesian music. This piece was inspired by a sculpture by Maria Abakanowicz, entitled "Standing Figures."

Contact Improvisation (Barnes, Rieger)
Contact Improvisation is a dance form that was created in the 1970s in the United States. It is now practiced all over the world in over 40 countries on six continents! In fact, people who do not speak the same language can dance contact improvisation together. This style of dance uses movement, touch, momentum, and counter-balance to explore new ways of dancing with other people. In this course, we will practice rolling, lifting, flying, inverting, falling and catching both ourselves and other people. Instead of being driven by creating shapes with our bodies, we will focus on our bodily sensations to hone and refine our dancing. Contact Improvisation leads to exciting partner dancing full of trust, cooperation, curiosity, and surprises.

Dancing With Words (Ollington)
This course will focus on the possibilities and problems associated with both creating and improvising movement to words. We will cover fundamentals of compositional and improvisational techniques, differentiate "literal" and "non-literal" motion in relation to verbal accompaniment, and create works of choreography set to words. We will work with poetry, prose, and song. Using the theme "Living the Artist's Life" as a basis, the class will create non-verbal movement phrases and write pieces for dances.

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MUSIC

African Music in the Diaspora (Castrey)
Despite efforts to suppress it, much of the music of African slaves survived and has syncretized with the music of the Americas in strange and wonderful ways. This class will identify elements of African music and trace their travels into the musical cultures of North, South, and Latin America. We will examine the influence of other cultures on these musical styles, and how American styles have, in turn, influenced contemporary African music. Students in this class should expect to listen, think, and discuss the music; then put all that away and play. Bring big ears and an open mind.

Art of Percussion (Esler)
Percussion is an instrument anyone can play and enjoy. It is an instrument that inspires critical thinking and exploration. This class is a tactile approach to percussion as a contemporary instrument. All types of musicians, from voice to strings and winds to percussion, are welcome. Absolutely no experience with percussion is necessary. In this class we examine various works within the percussion spectrum and together, as a group, workshop a variety of this repertoire. During the class you will learn how to solve complex problems, and most importantly, explore your creativity. Our ultimate goal is to stage an informal performance realization of a new work created by the class and inspired by the pieces studied throughout the course.

Art Song of the United States (Graber)
Composers such as Stephen Foster, Ned Rorem, Amy Beach, Richard Hundley, John Duke, and others have contributed a vast amount of uniquely American song literature. This class will explore the social, historical, musical, and poetic influences that have shaped American Art Song of the last 150 years. Activities will include reading, writing, and reciting poetry and learning and performing various songs at a high artistic level, which will include healthy vocalism and honest communication. Participating students will be assigned appropriate vocal selections to prepare prior to attending the Academy. In addition, some limited research will be assigned during the Academy and each student will participate in a master class performance. Skill and experience in vocal music is required in this class.

Bob Dylan and the Beatles (Schultz)
The work of Bob Dylan and the Beatles represents perhaps the most musically and culturally influential popular music of the 20th Century. This class will explore, in-depth, the musical output and cultural impact of both the Beatles and Bob Dylan, particularly during the period between 1962 and 1969. Musical topics will include: the continually changing musical styles of the Beatles; emergence of the “concept album”; importance of studio production techniques in the later Beatles albums; interpretation of lyrics from selected works; “protest” music; Bob Dylan’s breakaway from the Folk music tradition; and both the Beatles’ and Dylan’s use of metaphor, abstraction, and the absurd. Simultaneously, issues of American popular and political culture during this time period will be discussed, specifically from the perspective of how they both shaped and were shaped by this music.

Film Music (Polett)
This course will examine the practice of creating soundtracks for the motion picture industry. Examples of films that employ different types of collaboration between directors and composers will be studied. In some releases, the film is made before the soundtrack is created; in others, the music is composed before the film is shot; and in some examples, the music is improvised during the creation of the film. In class, we will look at how these processes affect the outcome of the film. We will also analyze common compositional devices used to portray particular characters, settings, and situations. As a final project, each student will add music to a film short and decide how best to employ a soundtrack of either newly composed or pre-existing music.

Finding Your Own Music (Castrey)
Is creativity really 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration? Find out in this workshop, and increase your odds by exploring improvisational/compositional processes and techniques. Students will discover musical motivations, play with others, and experiment with methods for developing musical ideas that can be used to create a new and personal music. Bring your instrument and imagination.

"Good" Music (Lein)
What makes one piece of music “art” and another “noise”? Is it simply a matter of opinion or are there criteria to follow when making value judgments? This seminar is a study in aesthetics that goes far beyond music appreciation, in which we will find a myriad of answers to those questions by examining accepted “masterpieces” (and some acknowledged “flops”) in a variety of musical genres – vocal and instrumental, old and new, fine art and popular. Through a combination of listening, score study, and student-led discussions, we will develop critical thinking and listening skills and expand our artistic horizons. Please bring recordings (and scores, if readily available) of your favorite music (bring as many as you like) to share and discuss with the class.

Jazz Improvisation: An Historical Approach (Polett)
The study of jazz improvisation is often treated as an extension of harmonic and melodic musical theory. Because of this, many people are intimidated by the task of learning the seemingly endless combinations of chords, scales, and harmonic progressions. By studying improvisation from an historical perspective, much of the mystery is lifted, and a more melodic approach to finding one's creative voice emerges. This course is designed to introduce any musician (yes, string players, woodwinds, pianists, and vocalists are welcome!) to this melodic/historical approach to jazz improvisation. Beginning with the early pre-cursors of jazz through Dixieland, the Blues, Swing, Bebop, Cool, Spanish, Latin, Fusion, Rock, and Free Jazz, we’ll use examples as models to enable each student to understand more and to create unique melodic jazz solos in many styles

Page One Ensemble (Schultz)
Some of the most innovative, imaginative, and creative musical works of the 20th Century have been written on a single sheet of paper. The Page One Ensemble at the 2009 Missouri Fine Arts Academy will focus on the interpretation and performance of one-page pieces. Specific repertoire will feature works created by some of the most important composers of the past 100 years, such as John Cage, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and James Tenney, as well as brand new works composed by students while at the Academy. Members of the Page One Ensemble will explore a wide variety of modern performance techniques, including minimalism, phase shifting, aleatoric music, and improvisation. Performers will work towards the interpretation and realization of text-based pieces, graphic scores, and chance-based music. All instruments, voice types, and musical backgrounds are welcome.

The Power of Song (Lein)
The singer is most often placed in the unique role of artistic interpreter of another’s creative work. This workshop is designed to aid singers in making interpretative and expressive decisions when performing song, as well as developing an understanding of how and why song is such a powerful and pervasive art form in society. Sessions will be geared toward: 1) the reasons we sing, historical trends in song styles, and the place of song in the fine art tradition; 2) the importance of a composer’s intentions and directions versus what liberties the singer may take (dynamics, tempo, timbre, etc.), through experimentation with the mechanics of a musical score; and 3) the inherent musicality of the song text. Students should arrive with at least three art songs (solo voice + piano accompaniment) prepared (bring the music with you!), preferably in English, for use over the course of the workshop. If any of the songs are in another language, please also bring a word-for-word and literal translation (not a “singable” English version).

The Singing Actor (Graber)
The tradition of using singing actors to portray characters in theatrical storytelling has a long and exceedingly rich history. Whether in opera, musical theatre, or any number of related vocal forms, the integration of drama and music presents certain challenges. In this class, participants will investigate the specific trials of the singer/actor/artist. Activities will include acting exercises to aid in the development of character, selection of appropriate repertoire, analysis of character through the musical score, and acting entire songs. We will also explore issues important to the versatile performer such as a healthy self-image, finding your "zone," finding a balance between vocal demands/acting choices, and performance anxiety. Students must have vocal music experience. Prior to your arrival at the Academy, please select and prepare five different art songs or Musical Theatre selections that you feel best represent you vocally and as an actor. Avoid the temptation to impress by choosing overly difficult selections like operatic arias. Instead, try to find things you truly enjoy singing and can connect with emotionally. Please bring all music with you and in the correct key.

Sound and Space (Esler)
What happens when you combine the concepts of art and music? For the past several decades, sound art and sound design have been rapidly developing fields. These two art forms explore how sound, music, space, performance, time, and meaning interact. During this course, we will peruse the world of sound art/design and re-create several installations in select spaces around the campus. Furthermore, we will investigate other areas in the arts, such as theater, dance and visual art, to unravel how sound and space collaborate in a variety of dynamic environments. Students will work toward producing an original installation or design within a semi-informal setting which may include working with dancers, actors and other artists.

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THEATRE

Dada and Theatre of the Absurd (S. Joyce)
Philosopher Albert Camus stated, “If the world were clear, art would not exist.” Before there was Tom Stoppard, Edward Albee, and Sam Shepard, there was Alfred Jarry, Samuel Becket, Eugene Ionesco, and a host of other theatre artists interested in pushing the boundaries of logic, characterization, language, and plot. In this course, we will discuss the history of the Dada and Absurdist movements, create a Dada cabaret, and play with monologues and scenes from some of the great absurdist writers of the early 20th century.

Elements of Comedy (A. Joyce)
From concept to realization, this class will focus on the creation and development of comedy through the use of long and short form improvisation, Commedia dell'arte Lazzi techniques, clowning, and playwriting exercises. Students will explore the basic principles of character, premise, setup, and payoff in a "writer room" format, but the "writers" here are actors and EVERYTHING is workshopped on the stage. One goal of the class will be to ultimately create an ensemble piece of comedic theatre, from the inside out, that addresses character, plot, and tone from an exciting and new perspective.

Outside the Box: Public Access Theatre (McTier)
In this seven-day workshop, we will work “outside the box” of traditional theatre by creating both scenario-based and spontaneous performance in public spaces on the MSU campus. Drawing from the “happenings” of the 1960s as well as the current “improv everywhere” movement sweeping the country, Outside the Box will envision a future of immediate, “public-access” theatre by creating and sharing a public experiment/performance/event each class day. (If this sounds scary, check out improveverywhere.com to see how exciting this can be!)

Theatrical Viewpoints (S. Joyce)
This class will focus on extrapolating the essence of original source material for the stage. The design is a nuts and bolts approach to script analysis through script creation. We will utilize aspects of plot, character, theme, spectacle, music, and language as the guiding elements for our created work.

What Lies Beneath: A Crash Course in Dramaturgy Text, Subtext, Context, Pretext, Ur-text . . . (McTier)
We know there is so much more to the script than meets the eye, but how do we discover “what lies beneath”? In this seven-day workshop, we will explore how basic dramaturgy can help us understand the text and enrich the creative choices we make as an actors, directors, and designers. Using Spring Awakening (the original German as well as the recent Broadway musical version) as our case study, we will discover and use practical tools (many of them online) valuable to the production of both classical and contemporary plays. *A major theme in Spring Awakening is early adult sexuality. Students who enroll in this class must have parent/guardian permission

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VISUAL ART

Bridges, Tunnels, & Forts (Zubko)
“One can truly understand forms only by knowing their underlying structure…In a sense, the why of what is.” (Ian Mack) In this class, students will be addressing the concepts of building form and volume in three ways: using linear materials, using planer - flat materials, and using thin, plastic sheet material. Through a series of introductory exercises, we will jump right into building three-dimensional structures. By starting out small, students will discover new ways to create structures and develop techniques for making material connections without glue. How can we carve out and redefine a space using line? How can we make strong, supportive structures using materials that are flat and seemingly non-structural? How can we shape a voluminous, inflatable structure? Drawing will be used as a tool to generate organic shapes in which the student’s structures will be inspired. Applying the discoveries found in the small exercises we, as a class, will ultimately be attempting to build various large, organic, three-dimensional structures - using only simple materials (yarn, cardboard, plastic bags) and no glue – which the entire class will fit under/inside. Scale, material potential, and of course, collaboration will be the keys to our discoveries and successes.

The Everyday Radical (Jaeger)
Who defines art? Is there one single concept of art that artist must follow? Can art relate to our everyday life? In this class we will examine the radical elements and ideas defining the works of Conceptual Art, Fluxus Art, Arte Povera, and the Happenings. We will engage in exercises following the parameters that were utilized by these movements to challenge and re-define the role of art in society. Specifically, we will observe how the particular use of everyday materials, the artist’s experience, and the inclusion of the audience as the producer of the artwork have blurred the lines between art and life in these four movements. We will first focus on individual object based creations such as the Fluxus Box and the conceptual installation. As a group, we will then use our visual and experiential experiments to create works/events/happenings meant to expand the boundaries of what we consider art.

I Object (Land)
Exploring ideas of self as subject and self as object, we will work within the areas of photography, sculpture, film stills, and installation. As a collective group, we will begin investigating the artwork of renowned artists Bruce Nauman, Trisha Donnelly, Izima Kaorou, Jeanne Dunning, Janaina Tschape (The Blob 4), Kristina Lewis, and Paul Hayes. With the concepts of human vulnerability and physicality, students will work both individually and as a community to create challenging still images. The above will include the construction of blob bodies, organic masses to attach and photograph. Individuals will also be introduced to The Squid List and The Flaming Lotus Girls (San Francisco-based art collaborative/communities) through investigation and creation of sculpture (molecular structures, microscopic specimens, seed pods, movement, etc). Utilizing basic materials such as needles, zippers, straws, Styrofoam, and paper, groups of students will transform utilitarian objects into extensions of our bodies. We will further propose and explore the question, ‘Is this art?’ and the artistic process of investigation and creation. Individuals will gather evidence, discuss, problem-solve, create, critique and exhibit their work. Selected artwork and text will also have the opportunity to be exhibited on the Smithsonian Photography Initiative blog “The Bigger Picture”. Critical theory, creativity, technique, and craftsmanship will be emphasized.

Innerspace/O u t e r s p a c e (Cline)
Sometimes it is the things that you don’t see that have the greatest visual impact. During this experience we will investigate the power that space can possess by means of a collaborative sculpture. Our collaboration will maintain the ability to evolve over time as our understanding of the relationship between space and form develops. Individually we will create two sculptures from our own observations. These individual sculptures will be based upon a reduction of an existing form. Isolated and perhaps exploded in scale, our creations will translate into a new context. We will work with familiar media in a unique way, explore the influence of color upon form, and examine the function of form itself.

Living the Artist's Life Inside/Out (Mai, Squires)
This course is primarily a 2D class exploring the private, personal, interior life of the visual artist AND the public, communal, exterior life of the visual artist. Additional components may include exposure to a variety of contemporary artists, writing and reflection, and group critique. This experience will be divided into two parts. In the first half, The Toolbox, we will collect images and ideas, experiment with materials, and build into individual sketchbooks. Techniques will include altered books, book-making, figure drawing, monoprinting, collagraphs, collage, symbol study, cut paper silhouettes, text, drawing, and painting. In the second half, The Installation, we will divide into small groups to create small-scale models and large-scale collaborative 2D figures that illustrate the theme “Living the Artist’s Life.” Figures will be installed in various spaces inside Brick City, the art building.

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