At FeinLine Academy™, creativity isn’t taught. it’s unleashed.
Founded by award-winning composer, producer, and educator Brian Feinstein, FEINLINE ACADEMY is where emerging artists, passionate writers, and creative dreamers discover their voice and hone their craft. We offer programs and coaching for writers, composers, and performers at every stage of the creative journey.
Whether you're joining immersive Feinline Academy programs like SHINE or Once Upon A Song, diving into one-on-one songwriting lessons with FeinTUNE, elevating your script through FeinSTORY, or preparing for your next audition with FeinLIGHT, you'll find expert guidance, a supportive community, and the tools to bring your story to life.
A "Fruitful" Debut: Once Upon A Song Transforms 'Ollie Orange' into a Musical
On January 25, FeinLine Academy debuts Once Upon A Song, a new pop-up creation experience where young performers transform a children’s book into an original musical theatre song in just four hours. Led by composer and educator Brian Feinstein, the pilot workshop—hosted in partnership with Clauds Stein and Ethos Theatre Company at the Barrow Group Performing Arts Center—guides students through writing, rehearsing, and performing an original song inspired by Shannon Thomas’s recently released book Ollie Orange and the School of Fruit, culminating in a same-day showcase for families and guests.
Designed as a joyful, hands-on creation event, Once Upon A Song celebrates collaboration, imagination, and the thrill of helping kids see themselves as creators.
FEINLINE ACADEMY PROGRAMS FOR YOUR SCHOOL OR VENUE
FEINLINE ACADEMY
SHINE
Introducing SHINE: a bold, immersive two-week experience where kids don't just perform theatre, they invent it.
Conceived by award-winning composer and theatre educator Brian Feinstein, SHINE is not your average summer theatre camp. Here, imaginations run the show.
Young artists dive into writing, singing, staging, and performing a brand-new mini-musical entirely from scratch. The story? Theirs. The characters? Theirs. The catchy songs and show-stopping staging? All theirs, guided by professional teaching artists who turn big ideas into even bigger adventures.
SHINE welcomes kids ages 6–12, from shy first-timers to born spotlight-stealers. In a space that's warm, inclusive, and 100% kid-powered, they'll dream big, take creative risks, and discover the joy of storytelling. Each summer culminates in a final performance for family and friends, a celebration of their creativity, teamwork, and growth.
A Musical Theatre Experience For Kids
BIG DREAMS, ORIGINAL SHOWS, AND ENDLESS IMAGINATION
FeinLine SHINE – A Musical Theatre Experience For Kids
Introducing SHINE: a bold, immersive two-week experience where kids don't just perform theatre, they invent it.
Conceived by award-winning composer and theatre educator Brian Feinstein, SHINE is not your average summer theatre camp. Here, imaginations run the show.
Young artists dive into writing, singing, staging, and performing a brand-new mini-musical entirely from scratch. The story? Theirs. The characters? Theirs. The catchy songs and show-stopping staging? All theirs, guided by professional teaching artists who turn big ideas into even bigger adventures.
SHINE welcomes kids ages 6–12, from shy first-timers to born spotlight-stealers. In a space that's warm, inclusive, and 100% kid-powered, they'll dream big, take creative risks, and discover the joy of storytelling. Each summer culminates in a final performance for family and friends, a celebration of their creativity, teamwork, and growth.
FEINLINE ACADEMY
ONCE UPON A SONG
Where Every Story Sings
Once Upon A Song brings children's literature to life through music. In this unique 3-hour workshop, kids collaborate with a children's book author to adapt their story into an original song.
Together, they read, imagine, write lyrics, compose melodies, and stage a final performance, with the author joining them on stage!
It's a magical experience that deepens literacy, builds confidence, and shows young artists that every story has a song waiting to be discovered.
Perfect for: Bookstores, libraries, community centers, and schools looking for innovative literary programming.
FEINLINE ACADEMY
MIXTAPE
The Soundtrack Is Set. The Story Is Yours.
Introducing MIXTAPE: a dynamic, music-driven theatre experience where kids don't just sing the hits, they reimagine them into something entirely their own.
Here's the challenge: We hand them a curated playlist of iconic songs from beloved musicals like Annie, The Little Mermaid, and Matilda.
Their mission? Choose one song from each show and build an original 15-minute musical: writing the dialogue, creating the scenes, developing the characters, and crafting a story that's 100% theirs. Then they bring it all to life in a performance for family and friends.
Guided by professional teaching artists, kids discover a unifying theme: friendship, adventure, finding your voice—that connects their chosen songs and becomes the heartbeat of their story. They learn to craft narrative arcs, develop characters, write compelling scenes, and use songs to drive the story forward.
Whether your child is a Broadway superfan or simply loves a good showtune, MIXTAPE offers a fresh way to create original musical theatre: one playlist at a time.
Private Lesson Opportunities with
Brian Feinstein
Songwriting Lessons
Every great song tells a story, and in FeinTUNE, we make sure yours sings in every way.
In these private, one-on-one sessions with Brian Feinstein, you'll explore the intricate marriage of music and storytelling, refining both melody and lyrics until your song doesn't just work—it shines. Whether you're writing for musical theatre, pop, film, or any genre in between, these lessons are tailored to your style, your goals, and your unique voice as a songwriter.
Lyric clarity and emotional impact
Melodic strength and memorability
Dramatic purpose and narrative arc
Genre-specific techniques and industry standards
All ages and levels welcome: from first-time songwriters to seasoned professionals
Flexible format: Available online or in-person (NYC)
Personalized coaching: Every session meets you where you are, from first draft to final polish
The Script Doctor Is In
In FeinSTORY, Brian Feinstein steps into the role of script doctor, analyzing your play, musical, or screenplay with a keen dramaturgical eye and over two decades of experience developing scripts for stage and screen.
Brian identifies what's working, what's missing, and what needs reshaping to strengthen your story's structure, pacing, and emotional impact. Whether you're in early development or deep into rewrites, these consultations deliver actionable, specific notes designed to get your script closer to production-ready.
In-depth analysis of character arcs, structure, and pacing
Guidance on thematic clarity and dramatic stakes
Scene-by-scene feedback (full scripts or select excerpts)
Confidential, supportive, and collaborative consultation
Playwrights, composers, lyricists, screenwriters, and anyone crafting a story for the stage or screen.
Audition Coaching
FeinLIGHT is your all-ages audition prep program designed to help you walk into any room confident, prepared, and unforgettable. Whether you're stepping into a Broadway callback, a community theatre tryout, or your very first school play, auditions are as much about connection as they are about performance.
FeinLIGHT helps you tell a clear, confident and compelling story, so that the room remembers you, not just the song.
Song and monologue selection tailored to your strengths
Performance technique, vocal delivery, and presence
Room behavior and confidence-building strategies
Handling nerves, callbacks, and the unexpected
All ages and experience levels, from first-time auditioners to seasoned performers looking to sharpen their edge.
Private coaching sessions available online or in-person (NYC).
THE GALLERY
JOIN THE FUN
Enjoy creativity in action — performances, rehearsals, and moments that bring the FEINLINE ACADEMY™ experience to life.
READY TO TAKE THE STAGE?
Let’s Create something extraordinary — Together.
Whether you're a young dreamer writing your first song, a storyteller polishing your next great musical, or a performer preparing to shine, FeinLine Academy is where creativity becomes confidence and passion becomes art.
Join a community where every note, story, and performance begins with endless possibility.
"Theatre is the only place that lets both versions of us live at the same time: the one who wants to hide, and the one who longs to be seen in the brightest light."
Brian Feinstein