Community Arts Academy

A Passion for Music

Our Mission

To serve our community through musical training and experiences; to help our participants develop skills in music, and a love of music; to provide MNU students studying the pedagogy of music an opportunity to teach and gain real-life experience; and to provide a network of services and training that connect constituents to the University and its greater mission.

Dr. Luke Johnson, Director

Dana Hinds, Administrative Coordinator

Professional MNU Faculty

Faculty	Instrument
Prof. Mark Adair	Applied Bassoon
Prof. Tina Bilberry	Applied Violin, Viola
Prof. Audrey Herren	Applied Cello
Prof. Elaine Fox	Applied Voice
Prof. Isabella Currie	Applied Oboe
Prof. Richard Galbreath	Applied Clarinet
Prof. Brandon Graves	Drumline, Drumset, Applied Percussion
Prof. David Smart	Applied Guitar
Dr. Gina Hart-Kemper	Applied Flute
Prof. Doug Talley	Applied Saxophone
Prof. Brent Mead	Applied Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba
Prof. Nate Nall	Applied Trumpet, Improvisation
Prof. Andrea Stanton	Applied Horn
Dr. Regina Tanujaya	Applied Piano, Keyboard Skills
Prof. Gaby Siegel	Applied Piano
Prof. Dawn Gilmore	Applied Piano, Applied Voice, Beginning Strings
Prof. Ben Wray	Applied Jazz Keyboard

Community Teaching Faculty

Faculty	Instrument
To be determined	To be determined

Academy Teaching Candidates

Faculty	Instrument
Alexis Wood	Applied Euphonium

Bell Center Hours and Use for Community Arts Academy

The Bell Cultural Events Center is available to non-MNU students only during authorized lesson times organized between the CAA lesson teacher, Bell Center management, and Department of Arts and Humanities. Typically, CAA lessons will occur between 4-9pm, Monday through Friday, and 10am-2pm on Saturdays. Specific lesson times will be communicated from the applied teacher to each student.The policies for use of practice facilities are as follows:

Food and drink (except water) are not permitted in the practice rooms.
Practice rooms should be left in a neat condition for the next person, regardless of the condition in which they were found.
Practice rooms are intended for practicing and lessons, not for any other purpose – including eating, socializing, or other activities not permitted on campus.
Practice rooms may not be used as storage spaces. Students and teachers are to take all personal belongings with them when vacating the practice room. If items are left unattended for an extensive length of time, they will be removed. Personal belongings left unattended are not the Department’s responsibility. If instrument storage space is needed, please refer to the instrument storage policy in this handbook.
Practice Room Piano Usage. The following basic rules govern the use of pianos:
1. Place nothing on a piano except music or a metronome.
2. If a piano is found damaged in any way, please inform the Department Administrative Coordinator.
3. Do not move or adjust the position of pianos.
4. Remember: The pianos are highly valued instruments. All must assume responsibility for keeping them in the best condition possible.
Lessons at MNU are only permitted through the Community Arts Academy. No private arrangements for lessons may occur for adjunct faculty, community teaching faculty, and academy teaching candidates.

Jones Instrumental Rehearsal Room

The Bell Center Manager must preapprove any use of Jones Instrumental Rehearsal Room. Percussionists may have lessons in this space from time to time as necessary and approved by Bell Center Manager and/or the Director of the CAA/A&H Department.

Smith Keyboard Lab

This lab will remain locked except for regularly scheduled classes. Students should practice on pianos in practice rooms in the Halvorson Practice Complex.

Instrument Storage

No instrument storage will be available for non-MNU students.

Ensembles and Classes

The CAA is committed to offering a variety of ensembles and classes to meet its mission. These possibilities include guitar class, piano class, drumming circle, Special Needs Music Therapy group sessions, community choir, community band, etc.

Applied Lessons

Most lesson rate plans receive thirty minutes of private weekly instruction for 15 lessons over the course of the term. Hour lessons are only by instructor recommendation, and receive sixty minutes of private weekly instruction for 15 lessons per term. Rates will vary for lessons depending on the qualifications of the instructor (see handbook).

Registration & Attendance

Registration commits the student for the entire term (generally 15 lessons over the semester). Your registration reserves your teacher’s time during the year at that specific time each week, regardless of student non-attendance, vacation, field trips, school music obligations, sports, etc. Cases of extended illness or familial obligations will be handled on an individual basis.

A non-refundable registration fee of $25 is assessed once per semester per student upon enrollment for up to three (3) family members. An additional family member will be assessed a $10 fee.

Regular attendance is expected

Students who are late for a lesson cannot be guaranteed their full lesson time. Faculty are instructed to wait for a student for one third of the lesson time before starting another lesson or leaving.
As a courtesy, please notify instructor 24 hours in advance of any absence. If you are unable to connect with your instructor, please notify the Bell Center Office 913-971-3441

Make-Up Lesson Policy

Student Absence:
If a student must miss a private lesson, please contact the teacher 24 hours in advance, if at all possible. The teacher and student will then need to find a time to make-up the lesson at the earliest convenience. The student WILL be charged for the missed lesson. The student WILL NOT be charged for the make-up lesson. The student has one month to make-up the lesson. After one month, the lesson will be forfeited. If a student misses a private lesson and no contact was made with teacher 24 hours in advance the student will be charged for this lesson and no make-up lesson will be required.

Teacher Absence:
In the event that an instructor cancels a lesson or class, a make-up lesson will be offered at a mutually convenient time. The instructor is required to offer two reasonable make-up date alternatives.

Weather and other cancellations:
THREE snow days per student, per year, will be made up. Please note that snow days occur only when the school closes due to inclement weather.
It is the instructor’s responsibility to find a mutually agreeable time to make-up a lesson that is due to weather cancellation and is arranged between the teacher and student.
Students who withdraw forfeit any make-up lessons they are owed.
Students who are unable to attend lessons/classes due to a long-term medical issue (3 or more consecutive weeks) may submit a written notification to CAA for consideration of a credit/refund for lessons/classes missed within the relative semester.

Student Withdrawal Process

If a student desires to withdraw from private lessons, or if a teacher determines that it would be in the students’ best interest to discontinue lessons, a notice of withdrawal must be made in writing (via email) to the Bell Center office with a 2-week notice. All accounts must be reconciled and paid in full and all lesson books must be returned to teacher.

Termination Of Lessons

Community Arts Academy reserves the right to dismiss any student because of frequent absences, tardiness, or disruptive or injurious behavior.

Lesson Renewal

All CAA students must re-enroll on a yearly basis.

Emergency Closing

Notification of CAA closure due to weather or other situations will be provided via email, our emergency alert system, RAVE. If an individual teacher cancels, he/she will contact students directly by phone and/or email. Do not assume that CAA is closed based on public and private school cancellations. To receive emergency communications and other important information via text and email through RAVE, register online at getrave.com/login/mnu.

Student Safety and Parental Responsibility

The Community Arts Academy considers the safety of our students a top priority. Parents are solely responsible for their child’s safe arrival at the school and for picking them up at the end of the lesson. Instructors and staff are not able to supervise children before and after lessons. Parents are responsible for supervising young children in MNU hallways, waiting areas and bathrooms as a courtesy to instructors and other students. Parents are responsible for picking up their children promptly after lesson time. Neither instructors nor staff are responsible for supervising children outside of teaching time. Students enrolled in CAA are required to have a current waiver on file each year.

Required Waivers

Community Teaching Faculty are required to complete a waiver while offering programming on the MNU campus. Students taking lessons are required to complete a media release waiver as a part of their annual registration. An online link to the waiver will be provided as part of the registration process.

CAA tuition is charged on a semester or term basis. Invoices will be sent at the beginning of the term to the preferred family email. The balance of the account is due upon receipt of the invoice, however a monthly payment installment may be elected. An 5% discount will be given to those that pay in full at the beginning of the semester.

Tuition may be paid in one of the following ways:

Online

Through My Music Staff – info provided via email. There is a 3% fee for credit card usage.

Mail

Send tuition payments by check or money order (payable to MNU) to:

Community Arts Academy at MNU
2030 E. College Way
Olathe, KS 66062

In-person

Tuition payments by check or cash can be delivered to the Bell Center Office

Late Fees

Payments not received by the first of the subsequent month are subject to a $25 late charge.

Delinquent Accounts

CAA reserves the right to suspend or discontinue instruction of any student who is delinquent in fulfilling his/her financial obligations at any time during a semester. Students with delinquent accounts may not take a private lesson until the account is paid in full unless an arrangement has been made between family and Director.

Private Lessons Level-Based Tuition

Instructor fees are based on three different levels and will be billed accordingly. Prices listed below are based on one semester/term for 15 lessons except for summer. An 5% discount is given on the base tuition if paid up front by the listed due date. Additional lessons during the term will be paid at the end of the term on the last monthly installment.

Professional Level (MNU Music Faculty)

$540 half-hour / $1080 hour / $36 per additional lesson

Community Teacher Level:

$450 half-hour / $900 hour / $30 per additional lesson.

Academy Teaching Candidate Level (MNU Music Majors):

$345 half-hour / $690 hour / $23 per additional lesson.

Registration Fee per Semester

$25/student for up to 3 family members. $10 per student after the first 3.

Summer Tuition

(Number of Lessons) X (Additional Lesson price above) – Payment due upon receipt of invoice received at the end of each month.

Summer Registration Fee

$10 per student, no family discount

There is a $25.00 fee for returned checks. If a check is returned, reimbursement must be made by money order or cash.
Tuition from the previous semester must be paid in full before students may register for the following semester unless an arrangement has been made with the teacher and CAA Director.
The Community Arts Academy reserves the right to require those students with a history of delinquent payments to go into a “pre-payment” status, in which the student must pay IN FULL for the entire semester and any past due balances before enrollment may continue.

Payment Schedule Fall 2025

August 15 If base tuition is paid in full by this date, an 5% discount will be given.
December 30 Lesson Fees from any lessons above 15 total and Final payments due.

If a payment plan is chosen:

August 15 25% Tuition.

September 15 25% Tuition.

October 15 25% Tuition.

November 15 25% Tuition.

December 30 Lesson Fees from any lessons above 15.

Spring 2026

January 15 If base tuition is paid in full by this date, an 5% discount will be given.

May 29 Lesson Fees from any lessons above 15 total and Final payments due.