Brent Mead, one of 15 faculty members teaching at the Community Arts Academy, is giving a lesson to Olathe South sophomore Owen Beckman.
Launched in January 2024, the Community Arts Academy at MidAmerica Nazarene University currently enrolls 60 students in classes for voice, piano, guitar, band, and orchestra instruments. Percussion is one of the most popular offerings with 25 students currently. Academy lessons occur in MNU’s Bell Cultural Events Center on the university’s campus at 2030 E. College Way in Olathe, Kansas.
Born from a mission to serve the community with musical training and experience, the Academy is led by Dr. Luke Johnson, director of bands and music education and professor of music.
Johnson is anticipating growth in the number of students enrolled and the classes offered. One such class could be beginning piano for adults.
“No experience will be needed for the 4-session introduction to piano to see if students want to pursue further instruction,” Johnson says. “It will be a great way to learn, have fun and see if piano might be for you. This could be another way to serve the community with fun, engaging learning.”
Shana Stelzer’s daughter Hannah is taking trombone lessons from Brent Mead, adjunct professor of applied low brass. Hannah has played trombone at her school, and private lessons were the next step for this young musician. Her older siblings also play instruments, and Shana finds that learning to play an instrument has benefits beyond the creative outlet it provides.
“Music helps them learn to focus and see the reward of hard work and achieving more,” Shana says. About the Community Arts Academy, she notes, “I think it’s been a great place for Hannah to take lessons. It’s a very nice facility.”
Mead was recommended to the Stelzers by friends and he was on the list of providers they obtained from Hannah’s school.
“He [Mead] has been flexible with scheduling and good about introducing other opportunities like the Sousa Band Audition Clinic, which Hannah participated in. Hannah is doing well. It’s a good experience for her.”
There are two levels of instructors in the Academy. Professional-level teachers are highly qualified MNU faculty with advanced performance degrees and/or extensive performance experience.
The second level is MNU Music students teaching in an apprenticeship model under the guidance of MNU faculty. This will allow them to learn how to teach private applied lessons, providing a great opportunity for MNU students to learn to do that in a friendly environment.
Lessons are held in the afternoon and evenings and can accommodate homeschoolers. The cost is competitive with music lessons in the marketplace with a lower cost for lessons taught by MNU students.
“Beginning music students will do well with our apprentice teachers and advanced students will probably want to take lessons from faculty,” Johnson says.
Continued growth with the Academy is anticipated. The vision is to add community-based instructors such as band teachers and other local musicians as well as to broaden course offerings to a variety of music and dance lessons.
To learn more about the Community Arts Academy at MidAmerica Nazarene University, visit mnu.edu/community-arts-academy.
