James Bowyer, DMA

Interim Director of Choirs | Director of Vocal Activities

Dr. James Bowyer serves as Interim Director of Choirs and Director of Vocal Activities at East Texas A&M, where he teaches courses in choral conducting, literature, and methods and is the conductor of Chorale and Chamber Singers. He most recently served as Associate Professor of Music at Bemidji State University, where he conducted three choirs and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in music education, choral conducting and literature, and musicianship. His textbook, Creative Sightsinging (Santa Barbara Music Publishing), has been adopted by high schools and colleges across the United States and around the world. An active choral composer and arranger, Dr. Bowyer has had his choral works published by Heritage Music Press, ICC Publishing House, Lorenz, Alfred, SBMP, and Colla Voce. A certified Kodály and Orff specialist, Dr. Bowyer focuses his research agenda on music literacy, movement, and music education pedagogy. He has written articles for Choral Journal, Orff Echo, and Music Educators Journal, in addition to contributing to Teaching Music Through Performance in Choir II and III (GIA Publications) and The Strength of Story in Early Childhood: Diverse Contexts for Development Across Domains (Springer International). He presently serves on the editorial advisory board of Music Educators Journal. He has taught on the faculties of McPherson College, Loyola University Maryland, Indiana University South Bend, Brooklyn College, the University of Wyoming, the University of Puget Sound, and Gonzaga University. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting from the University of Washington and the Master of Music in Choral Conducting, Voice Performance & Pedagogy, and Music Education from Westminster Choir College. Dr. Bowyer 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.