FAQ for MKS Studio

1. Where does MKS Studio meet?

   Our weekly classes take place at Grace Central Church at 344 N. 115th St. in Omaha, NE

2. How long are Classes?

   Depending on which class you’ve chosen, classes run anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours every Monday, with a few advanced classes requiring additional rehearsals on Wednesday mornings.

3. Do you have an attendance policy?

   All students are expected to commit to every class, event, and performance. We understand that some students have extra-curricular activities, but because our classes are formulated with each student in mind, we do not offer discounts for missed classes, and ask that all students participating are present.

4. How do you take payment, and when are monthly payments due?

   Class tuition is taken out via automatic withdrawal from the account of your choosing on the first of every month. When you enroll in classes, the account you use to pay the enrollment fee is the account set up for auto-withdrawal. For all regular classes, tuition is withdrawn in September, October, and November of the first semester, and February, March, and April of the second semester. For the advanced classes (Vivace' Select Choir, BRIO Show Choir, and Advanced Musical Theater), we meet through August, December and January as well.

5. Do you offer scholarships?

   Yes, we do currently offer scholarships. Fall applications are open from June 1st through June 15th, and spring applications are open from December 1st through December 15th. We do not take applications outside of open submission times. Scholarship submissions are not a guarantee of funds given. All requests are income-based and need-based, and there is a limited amount of funds available. Applications will be processed in the order received. Once your application is received, we will be contacting you via email regarding approval or denial of your request.

6. What if I missed the date for scholarship submission?

   If you missed the time frame to submit applications, but need help in paying for class, don’t worry! We have many volunteer opportunities for parents and family members to get involved, in exchange for discounts on tuition. Please reach out to Kristen Culver for more information.

7. Is there a concert fee for students participating in concerts?

   Yes. We want to keep our concerts free for all to attend, so have a $30 per student concert fee that is due on the final month of classes leading up to the concert. That fee helps to go toward the rental of the facility, catered dinner for all students and volunteers, payment of our sound tech, and printed programs, among other added costs. If you’d like to volunteer with our backstage team for the concert, we will waive your student’s concert fee.

8. Is participation in fundraisers required?

   We have one studio-wide fundraiser every year for all classes to participate in, with funds going to help purchase items and build teams to make our organization better. For our advanced musical theater class and Vivace Select Choir, we do multiple fundraisers every year. Because those classes have a much more involved project with a larger budget, every student involved in those advanced classes are required to either participate in every fundraiser or buy out of them.

9. For the advanced musical theater class, does my child need prior theater experience to participate?

   Not at all! Interest, passion, and commitment is all that is required. All students enrolled will be assigned a part in the musical production, regardless of experience or skill, after participating in auditions.

10. What are auditions like for the Advanced Musical Theater class?

    Auditions are scheduled to run after the beginning of the year and are usually held on a separate day prior to classes starting, outside of our regular rehearsal time. Students will be required to sing a solo piece, read a script, and learn a dance number to perform.

11. Do I need to stay with my child during rehearsal?

    No! We have a team of dedicated teachers, conductors, and staff members teaching your child in class. However, parents are welcome to stay on campus through classes. If you are planning on having your child on campus during times they aren’t in class, there is a designated family area for them to sit and quietly do homework, or play outside. Students aren’t allowed in other parts of the church, and we don’t have hall monitors to watch kids outside and in the building.

12. Is MKS Studio for homeschool families only?

    No! We open our classes up to any families wanting to participate. However, some of our classes and rehearsals do take place during traditional school hours, and we ask that all students participating prioritize rehearsals, performances, and outings, which may conflict with traditional school hours.

13. What is the overall time commitment?

    Semesters follow a traditional school schedule (Fall semester - August through November/December, Spring semester - January through April). We have other various commitments for different classes, such as concerts, holiday performances at alternate locations, national anthem singing, and tech week/production week. Please refer to your printed syllabus for those dates or reach out to your class teacher directly.

14. Do I need to purchase any costumes or supplies?

    Each class has different requirements, depending on the commitment of the class. All of our choirs, photography students, and theater classes will require a $15 t-shirt to wear at various outside performances and events, and our advanced choirs will require you to purchase a choir dress for the ladies and suit for the gentlemen. Photography class must have a laptop and digital camera to participate. Guitar class students are required to provide their own guitars. For our advanced musical theater, there may be additional purchases for costumes, such as black shoes, or nude leotards and cover ups.

15. When are the performances?

    All classes participate in 2 yearly concerts. Our first concert takes place after the final week of class toward the end of November, and our second concert will be at the end of April to conclude the year. We also have additional performances through the holidays, such as performing at the Durham Museum, and ministering at nursing homes. In the spring, all choirs get the chance to sing the national anthem at Werner Park.