One Boy’s Day Workshop at UMKC Conservatory

Over the course of two intensive weeks, Mikel Rouse began developing the first round of audio and video sketches for One Boy’s Day, an installation work created in collaboration with the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC). This early stage of the process focused on exploring fragments, textures, and fleeting moments, laying the groundwork for a piece that is already revealing a deeply personal and immersive direction.

The workshop brought together a dynamic group of collaborators, including Dr. Paul Rudy, Coordinator of Collaborative Arts Initiatives, and his composition students, alongside the UMKC Conservatory NEXUS Ensemble. Contributions from musicians and artists such as John Zhu, Yingting Liu, and Haoyu Zhao helped shape the evolving sonic landscape, while Sofia Bilbao, a master’s student at UMKC, developed a striking projection design that expanded the visual dimension of the work.

This phase of One Boy’s Day reflects both experimentation and emerging clarity, as interdisciplinary elements begin to coalesce into a cohesive artistic vision. The project is further supported by the leadership of Conservatory Dean Courtney Crappell and Associate Dean Andrew Grenade, whose commitment has enabled the work to take form in a collaborative and forward-thinking environment. As the process continues, the piece promises to evolve into a richly layered installation rooted in memory, perception, and time.