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.