The Missouri Fine Arts Academy provides a unique program of artistic, extracurricular, and social opportunities to Missouri's talented high school students, and has done so since 1996. Click here to learn more about MFAA...
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Resident Assistants
The Academy Resident Assistant’s job is to help students and assure a safe and orderly MFAA. Each student is assigned one RA, who supervises the group of Academy students with whom he or she lives. Nowhere is the MFAA ensemble spirit more obvious than in the RA staff. The RAs with whom MFAA students live and work are sources of inspiration, intrigue, guidance, and support for everyone within the Academy family. They hold the primarily responsibility of maintaining a safe and orderly residence hall, but help assure students’ adherence to expectations through the academic day and at co-curricular and extra-curricular events. RAs are charged with helping to ensure the safety, security, whereabouts, wellbeing, and general good time of Academy students. They model for students just how much fun hard work can be.
Robert Battle
Robert Battle is originally from St. Louis, MO where he attended the Central Visual & Performing Arts High School and graduated from Kirkwood Senior High School. During his time at the Kirkwood High School, Robert sang in the KHS A Cappella Choir, Men’s Choir, Show Choir, E. Des Lee Collaborative Choir, Youth Gospel Music Conference Recording Choir, Tabernacle of Life Leadership Choir and the St. Louis Suburban All-District Choir for two years. During this time he also received I ratings in the Solo and Small Ensemble Festivals for solo singing and a senior quartet. Robert has just recently completed his third year as a choral music education student at the University of Missouri in Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance where he sings in the small chamber group Canticum Novum, and newly formed graduate ensemble, Conservatory Singers. In the past Robert was a part of the Vox Vir Men’s Ensemble, Conservatory Concert Choir, and the legendary, Heritage Chorale. During his short time at UMKC thus far, Robert has had the opportunity to work with such conductors as Dr. Ryan Board, Dr. Charles Robinson, Dr. Jerry McCoy, Dr. Peter Bagley, Dr. Eph Ehly, and Mr. Charles Buffy. Robert is a member of the Conservatory Student Association, the Collegiate Music Educators National Convention, the American Choral Directors Association Conference, and currently a Community Assistant for the UMKC Department of Residential Life.
April Cooper
April Cooper grew up in Springfield, Missouri. April’s family has always been very important to her; her parents are both teachers in Springfield Public Schools. Her father is a retired math teacher, and her mother teaches Early Childhood Special Education. April has two older brothers, Sean and Brian. Brian has autism and lives at home with her parents. Sean recently graduated from Truman State University with an English degree. Tennis has always been a big part of April’s family; April, however, did not care for tennis very much when she was young; she would have rather painted or drawn something. Although April’s parents did not quite understand April’s strong interest in the fine arts, they always supported her artistic endeavors. They were proud when April had a drawing the art museum in elementary school and then again when she had ceramic work in the high school art show. Currently April is working on the Bachelors in Art Education at the University of Missouri. In the future, April would like to teach high school students. April believes that the arts are an amazing way to communicate ideas and emotions, and that everyone should have that outlet of self expression. April wants to live her life as a lifelong learner and believes you can learn something from everyone, no matter how young or old. This feels this quote by Picasso exemplifies this idea: “I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”
Denaye Dollens
Denaye Dollens was born on July 8, 1987 in Moberly, Missouri to Daniel and Dena Dollens. Denaye is the first child of five, having two sisters and two brothers. Denaye attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in June 2004 where she had the experience of a lifetime. Denaye graduated from Centralia High School in 2005 and is currently attending the University of Missouri-Columbia. At the University of Missouri, she is a member of the Missouri Women’s Golf Team and is majoring in Art Education. Denaye enjoys spending time with her family, taking pictures, traveling and playing golf. Upon graduation, Denaye plans to move to Boston and attend graduate school.
Philip Forrester
Philip Forrester is the 2008 Resident Assistant Director. Phil is in his third year as a staff member at the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. Having never had the opportunity to go through the academy as a student, he relishes every day he gets to spend with the talented faculty, staff and students in the summer. Phil recently graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Culver-Stockton College. At culver, Phil was lead trumpet player in Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Ensemble for four years. Phil also had opportunities outside of the school day to play with outstanding ensembles such as Big River Swing Machine, Quincy Symphony Orchestra, The Brandon Clay Quartet, and in the pit orchestra for the Quincy Community Theater. Phil currently attends Missouri State University as a graduate student pursuing a Master of Music degree emphasizing in Music Theory. He is an active member in the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, and lab jazz Band, he directs the Tuesday Night Jazz Band. At the time of posting, Phil is happily engaged to Leslie Dobyns, another Academy veteran and talented person.
Alexander Grelle
Alexander Grelle is from the small town of Warrensburg, Missouri. Alex is a senior at Missouri State University pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Performance. After he graduates Alex has aspirations to move to Chicago and start life as a professional actor. Alex has performed in several plays. Some of his favorites include: Ambition Facing West, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, The Madness of Lady Bright, Urinetown, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Cabaret. Alex is an alumnus of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy class of 2003 and is thrilled to be part of your experience at Missouri State.
Marcy Kamler
Marcy Kamler studied music education at Missouri State University in Springfield Missouri, where she received her BME. Marcy graduated from Webb City High School, where she was a percussionist in the marching band, and played guitar in jazz band, as well as the upright bass in concert band. Although the Webb City school district did not have an orchestra program, Marcy began taking private violin lessons at the age of 5, and in high school, took violin solos to the district and state competitions. She also performed in the Missouri Southern State University Orchestra while attending high school. Throughout her senior year, Marcy worked at an Italian restaurant as a strolling violinist. One of her most memorable experiences was attending the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in the summer of 2002. There, she was able to meet other students with similar passions and broaden her artist interests. In college, Marcy worked as a Resident Assistant for the University for two years. She also played the viola in the Missouri State Symphony Orchestra and the violin in the Missouri State Chamber Orchestra. Marcy served as the president of the Missouri State chapter of the American String Teacher’s Association and is an active member of the Mu Phi Epsilon, a professional music fraternity. In her spare time, Marcy teaches for the Springfield String Project, a program designed to teach orchestra to second graders at an earlier age than the school district normally introduces it. This is Marcy’s third year as an RA at the Missouri Fine Arts’ Academy.
Lacey Lee
Lacey Lee graduated from Cor Jesu Academy high school in St. Louis prior to attending Missouri State University. Lacey’s harp studies in St. Louis were completed after 9 years under the tutelage of Laura Hearne and continue under MSU scholarship with Darice Auguston. She honed her orchestral skills as harpist for MSSHA All-State High School Orchestra and is now the principal harpist for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra and the Missouri State Orchestra. She has participated in workshops and performed with Grammy-nominated artist Deborah Henson-Conant; she is looking forward to another workshop with Henson-Conant in July. Lacey has also performed with Neal E. Boyd, a tenor graduate from the New England Conservatory who was dubbed “The Voice of Missouri” by Governor Matt Blunt. Lacey will graduate from Missouri State University in May of 2009 and plans to attend graduate school to continue her studies in harp performance.
Michael Muhoho
Michael Muhoho is a senior student in Missouri State University. He hails from the east African country of Kenya where he gained his high school education at Mang’u High School in Thika. Since then he has helped plan and organize a school “Parent Day” which included overseeing all the performances and structuring the program. Before music was stripped from being a High School examinable subject in Kenya, Michael passed gaining distinctions in recorder. He and three other classmates competed at a national level in this instrument as well, and were selected as the best recorder group in the country and retained the title the following year. After coming to the U.S. in 2003, Michael was able to be selected as a Resident Assistant in January 2005. He stayed in this position for one and a half years and received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing in May 2007. He is now getting his Masters in Business Administration. This is Michael’s second year as a Missouri Fine Arts Academy RA.
Kara Rainey
Kara Rainey graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas in December 2007 with degrees in Choral Music Education and Vocal Performance. Kara attended MFAA in 2002 and graduated from Poplar Bluff High School in 2003. At Ouachita, Kara was a member of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, Theta Alpha Phi Theatre Fraternity, Tri Chi Sorority, Ouachita Singers, Concert Choir, Ouachita Praise Singers, Opera Theatre Workshop, and Musical Theatre Workshop. Her musical and theatre credits include roles in Cosi` Fan Tute, H.M.S. Pinafore, Die Zauberflote, Anything Goes, The Sound of Music, Captive Audience, Final Placement, and Naomi in the Living Room. Kara has been a consistent semi-finalist in the classical and musical theatre categories of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and has been awarded the Sword of Honor, Ruby Sword of Honor, and the 2007 College Honor Award from Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. Currently, Kara is under contract with Wildwood Opera’s Young Artist Tour, where she has joined the company for 104 performances of children’s opera, Pinocchio. She plans to pursue a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance and Musical Theatre this fall and then continue on to get a Doctorate degree in Vocal Performance. Kara is thrilled to join the MFAA staff for her third year as a resident assistant and cannot wait to see students’ lives change at the Academy!
Karen Stuckey
Lauren Stuckey is a vocal music education/piano major in her third year at Missouri State. Lauren is from O’Fallon, MO where she graduated from Fort Zumwalt North High School. Throughout her college career, Lauren has had the opportunity to perform in several ensembles including the Chamber Singers, Island Breeze Steel Band, and the small vocal ensemble “Fusion”. She is also an active member of Mu Phi Epsilon, a professional music fraternity. Lauren will graduate with her BME in 2010 and plans to go on to graduate school to earn her Master’s in educational administration. Lauren attended the Missouri Fine arts Academy as a visual arts student in 2005. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and playing the piano.
Wes Warnhoff
Wes Warnhoff is going to be a junior at Missouri State University. Wes is from Columbia Missouri and is an instrumental music education major. He plays the tenor saxophone, but his main instrument of study is the clarinet. Wes is an alumnus of Missouri Fine Arts Academy from the year 2005. Right now he is performing with the Missouri State Wind Ensemble, University Symphony Orchestra, as well as performing solo works. Wes also performs in various jazz groups within Missouri State that travel around the Midwest. One of the most noteworthy performances Wes ever did however; would be when he performed at the State Capital for the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in 2006 in their annual effort to raise awareness and funds to keep the academy alive.
Nicole (Nicki) Werner
Nicki Werner, from St. Louis, attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in 2004. This event accelerated her passion for the arts, and she has hit the ground running ever since. While she has a strong background and passion for theater and dance, visual art is where her intellectual process has led her. She is currently working towards a BFA in sculpture at Drake University in Des Moines, IA. Her current body of work is informed by interactions between environmental concerns, the human element, and world economics. She is currently looking to attend graduate school in a new city and maybe teach at the college level some day. She is very excited to be a part of the Missouri Fine Arts Academy.
Rachel Wyss
Rachel Wyss is a senior at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she is studying vocal music education. She has been singing publicly ever since her mother directed the church’s Christmas program when she was three years old. She is from the small mid-Missouri town of Russellville, where she was very involved in band, choir, and drama in high school. She has gone on to be quite successful in her singing career in college, placing second in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) state competition in 2004, and first place in the regional NATS competition in 2003 and 2005. At the University she was a member of University Singers and the Show Me Opera program. Roles from opera scenes include Dorabella from Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte, and Carmen from Bizet’s Carmen. Roles from opera productions include Don Ettore from Haydn’s La Canterina and Prince Orlofsky from Strauss’s Die Fledermaus. She is interested in pursuing a graduate degree in vocal performance and plans on continuing to use her knowledge to teach others.
