James Owen Bowyer
Dr. James Bowyer is Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities
at McPherson College (McPherson, Kansas USA) where he teaches courses in music
education, choral studies, ear training, and applied voice. Each summer he serves on the
faculty of the American Kodály Institute, Loyola University Maryland’s graduate music
education program. He previously taught on the faculties of Indiana University South
Bend, Brooklyn College, the University of Wyoming, the University of Puget Sound, and
Gonzaga University. His textbook, Creative Sightsinging (Santa Barbara Music
Publishing), has been adopted by high schools and colleges across the United States and
around the world. Creative Sightsinging II: From Folksong to Masterwork is in the works.
He presently serves on the editorial advisory board of Music Educators Journal and has
written articles for Choral Journal, Orff Echo, and Music Educators Journal. He has
contributed to the Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir (GIA Publications)
series. A Kodály and Orff specialist, his research agenda focuses on music literacy,
movement, and music education pedagogy. He holds the Master of Music in Choral
Conducting, Voice Performance & Pedagogy, and Music Education from Westminster
College where he studied with Joseph Flummerfelt, James Jordan, and Marvin Keenze.
He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of
Washington, where he studied with Vinson Cole and Geoffrey Boers. He has taught
music for nine years in public, private, and charter school settings in Indiana, Missouri,
Massachusetts, and Washington. He frequently adjudicates at regional contests and
competitions and serves as guest conductor at clinics and choral festivals. As a lyric
tenor, he has presented numerous recitals and has appeared as a soloist with a range of
orchestras, most recently Bach’s B Minor Mass, Mozart’s Requiem, and Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 9. An active composer and arranger, he now has eight choral pieces in
print.
James Owen Bowyer has 6 titles published with Santa Barbara.
Click on any title below to view the complete score and hear a recording if available.
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