Dr. Cameron LaBarr’s goal for his students in Missouri State University’s choral studies program is that they connect so deeply with a performance that it just clicks, that they feel it in their souls. The question that drives his rehearsals, performances and interactions with students is: What actions can cause those special moments and connections to happen? The … [Read more...] about Finding harmony
Dr. Carrisa Hoelscher, director of graduate communication studies at Missouri State University, sets her target on competent communication to help others improve their skills. This includes finding ways to improve both effectiveness and appropriateness. Being effective and appropriate can feel like they are at odds sometimes. This creates tension — Hoelscher’s research … [Read more...] about Aim for competent communication in collaboration
Should you stop speaking Spanish at home, for example, to help them learn English more easily? Dr. Luciane Maimone, assistant professor of modern and classical languages, says no. “Being an immigrant myself, I can relate to the powerful connection between language, culture and one’s sense of self,” Maimone said. “Maintaining children’s home languages is key to their … [Read more...] about Celebrating multilingualism
Inside her office sit two grand pianos, with a desk pushed up against the corner. The sounds of students practicing drift through the walls. She prepares for performances in between lessons with students. A Juilliard-trained pianist, Choi Witte, assistant professor of piano at Missouri State University, blends her teaching with a passion for performance. She calls music a … [Read more...] about Passing notes: Sharing a universal message through performance
Dr. Jason Hausback, associate professor of music at Missouri State University, was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder in high school. But after learning to manage it, he finds performance empowering. “I’d rather play a trombone recital for 1,000 people than speak in front of three,” Hausback said. He was introduced to the trombone in the fourth grade. He liked the … [Read more...] about Empowerment through performance
This happened eight times a week at New York City’s Music Box Theatre as Brescia prepared to take the stage in the Broadway smash “Dear Evan Hansen.” It was the seventh Broadway production for Brescia, assistant professor in the department of theatre and dance. Before joining Missouri State in 2016, she wowed audiences as Donna in “Mamma Mia!” and Elphaba in “Wicked.” “My … [Read more...] about On broadway
The message came from an 87-year-old woman in Missouri. Days earlier, Payne, a professor of music and professional opera singer, performed with the Springfield Symphony for a special Black History Month concert in February 2018. There, Payne’s baritone delivered soaring solos and narrated the second half of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The woman … [Read more...] about Singing between the lines
These questions drive Dr. Jake Simmons' work. He researches the experiences of students of color on college campuses. His goal is to improve diversity and inclusion programs. “It's important to create safe spaces to share experiences," Simmons said. "It's important to students and to the fabric of a university." As the graduate studies director in the communication … [Read more...] about Making space for everyone
She was referring to Maxine Hong Kingston’s 1977 book “The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts.” Moser, an expert on Kingston’s work, recently edited a collection of essays that commemorated the 40th anniversary of its publication. With co-editor Dr. Kathryn West, Moser curated a diverse set of interpretations of this famous book. “The essays focus on … [Read more...] about Warriors
Dr. Billie Follensbee, an art historian and archaeologist who specializes in ancient Mesoamerica, has spent years illuminating a fundamental aspect of humanity in artifacts from the Olmec civilization, which once thrived along the Gulf Coast of present-day Mexico. Olmec civilization is famous for dramatic, blocky sculptures that often appear androgynous. Follensbee says, … [Read more...] about Past, present and power
“For me, that ‘extra’ is what’s actually most important, even though many people would throw it away,” Arendell says. And she isn’t really talking about pie. Arendell, associate professor in the department of theatre and dance, uses this metaphor to describe her favorite theatrical experiences - moments that surprise the audience because they don’t quite fit our expectations … [Read more...] about Between the lines
Graphic designers are charged with delivering those messages in an effective way. Do it wrong, and there may be unintended consequences. "If I design a sign which tell you, ‘Turn right,’ but actually you need to turn left, you can kill yourself!" That’s Cedomir Kostovic, a professor in the department of art and design. He came to the U.S. in 1990 from Bosnia and … [Read more...] about Inspiring people to action through informed design
"I think everybody is creative to some degree, whether they're creating artistic products or finding new ways to be an accountant or a building contractor," said Prescott, professor of music at Missouri State University. "Creativity is part of the human persona," he said. "People will say, ‘Well, I'm not creative.’ They just aren't realizing that creativity lies in a lot of … [Read more...] about Making a statement through the creative process
Walstrand Walls This is from a series that I was doing with Gwen Walstrand, based on what we've seen in Cairo, Illinois. She takes pictures, and I respond to the photographs that she takes. I really like the idea of it sort of getting double translated, her interpretation of it and then my interpretation of her interpretation. I like that idea of people influencing each other. … [Read more...] about Selected works by Sarah Perkins
But art and design professor Sarah Perkins has mastered a process that turns plain material into a shimmering work of art. She begins with a thin sheet of metal, which she cuts and hammers into three-dimensionality. She uses fire to enhance the metal’s malleability. After many rounds of hammering, the sheet of metal has become a completed vessel. Next, Perkins showers the … [Read more...] about Transformation