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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"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..." Click here to read more.
MFAA Home > People > Staff
Participants
Students | Administration | Faculty | Staff | Resident Assistants
Staff
Counselor | Media Manager | Resident Assistant Director
Counselor
The MFAA Counselor is responsible for helping students, staff, and faculty address emotional concerns that may influence their enjoyment of and participation in the MFAA. She also serves as a faculty member of the MFAA. She may meet individually with members of the Academy community and/or provide guidance to others working with those in need. She is also on call for assistance in emergency situations of a psychological/emotional nature.
Susan
Rieger
Susan Rieger is a licensed psychotherapist and an interdisciplinary and dance faculty member. See her complete bio in the "Faculty" section.
Media Manager
The Media Manager is the official documentation/historian of the MFAA. His duties include taking digital photographs during the Academy, submitting photos and captions for inclusion on the MFAA web photo gallery; preparing and showing digital visual art showcases and the final slideshows; recording and creating CDs of selected showcases, performances, and activities; and performing other related technical support duties in cooperation with the College of Arts and Letters Instructional Technology Support Specialist.
Nathan
Redelfs
Nathan Redelfs attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy in 2006 in the instrumental music discipline. Although he plays several instruments including guitar, piano, violin, and saxophone, mandolin is his forté. It was during his time as a student at the Academy that his love for filmmaking began. So in 2007 and 2008, Nathan interned at MFAA under former Media Managers Jake Parrott and Natalia Jaeger, respectively. Since then he has directed several short pieces, music videos, concert videos, and sports highlights, and has plans for feature films in the near future. Several of his favorite directors include Peter Jackson, Chris Nolan, Alfred Hitchcock, and Ridley Scott. Currently, Nathan is a sophomore at Columbia College majoring in Speech Communication with a focus on Mass Media and a minor in English. He is also the president of Columbia College's drama team and is responsible for the production of the spring play. He plays mandolin in a progressive acoustic band in Columbia and still makes films when he gets the chance.
Resident Assistant Director
The Resident Assistant Director resides in the student residence hall, although not directly responsible for a "house" of students, as are Resident Assistants. He oversees the functions of the Resident Assistant team, acting as leader of the R.A. staff to facilitate an orderly, high-energy, positive climate for living and learning at the Missouri Fine Arts Academy. In addition, he supervises Resident Assistants in daily and evening duties in the Residence Hall, coordinates the efforts of the office, supervises the RAs in their on-campus assignments and answers questions about Academy operations.
Philip
Forrester
Philip Forrester is currently completing the Master of Music degree in music theory at Missouri State University. While at Missouri State, Phil has played trumpet with the university Wind Ensemble, principal trumpet with the Concert Band and Wind Symphony, and lead trumpet with the Stage, Studio, and Lab Jazz Ensembles. Before coming to Missouri State, Phil graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. Phil enjoyed many playing opportunities at Culver with performances in the pit orchestras for the musicals Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Li'l Abner, and Cabaret. He was blessed with the opportunity to play in a jazz combo with several other Culver students, learning by trial and error the intricacies of jazz improvisation. Phil also performed for the Quincy community theatre's production of Kiss Me Kate as lead trumpet and with the Quincy Symphony Orchestra for their Children's Concert Series, and as an antiphonal brass member for La Pini di Roma. Phil now lives in Springfield with his wife, Leslie, a fellow arts lover and musician.
