Dr. John Owens is the Director of Music at Lake Michigan College where he teaches percussion, jazz band, contemporary music, and the LMC Redhawk Drumline. Before he came to LMC, Dr. Owens taught at Kent State University (OH), Coconino Community College (AZ), Page High School (AZ), and Saint Augustine High School (CA). He was also a curriculum consultant for the non-profit music education organization Little Kids Rock in New Jersey and worked for Oberlin College as a music teacher supervisor. As a musician, he has performed in nine different countries during his time in the US Army Band. He was also a percussionist for the Disneyland Resort and Knott’s Berry Farm. Dr. Owens has written fifty-seven commissioned works for scholastic and independent percussion ensembles in California, Germany, Arizona, Washington, and Netherlands. Further, he has adjudicated for four different percussion associations, provided workshops at area schools, and is repeatedly invited as a clinician at various music festivals. 

As a music education scholar, Dr. Owens has published research in the Finnish Journal of Music Education, Contributions to Music Education, Oregon Music Educator, and other journals in the areas of percussion music education , alternative/culturally responsive music ensembles, music education philosophy, informal music learning, and motivating music students. In addition, he has presented at the Ohio Music Educators Conference, Michigan Music Conference, New Hampshire Music Educators Conference, New Directions in Music Education Conference, and others. He earned his Ph.D. and Masters in Music Education at Kent State University and his Bachelor of Arts in Music from California State University San Bernardino. In addition to teaching, running drum circles, and making music, he delights in playing Legos with his four children, hiking as much as possible, and traveling with his lovely wife Christine.