Gordon W. Bowie, Ph. D.

Curriculum Vita

Current positions:

Bass Trombone: Virginia Grand Military Band, Capital Wind Symphony, Legacy Brass Quintet.

Conductor: Montgomery Village Community Band, Montgomery Village, MD.  MVCB is a 75+ member foundation-sponsored community band, serving Montgomery County, MD.  Mixed repertoire, including band classics, overtures and transcriptions as well as popular, movie and show music, and patriotic music. 

Free Lance Bass Trombone: Miscellaneous engagements in the Washington, DC area.

President: Serendipity Press, publisher of fine music editions and books about music. Nationwide distribution with distributors in twelve states and England. Predominantly brass ensembles and band music.

Member of review board of Online Trombone Journal.

Performing Arts Copyright Specialist: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Recent Positions: 

Conductor: The Bangor Band, 1985-1997, also 1973-1976.

Traditional New England town band, performing continuously since its founding in 1859. Performances year around. Mixed repertoire, including band classics, overtures and transcriptions as well as popular, movie and show music, patriotic music and Dixieland.

Bass Trombone: The Bangor Symphony Orchestra, 1965-1997

Regional per service orchestra, Christopher Zimmerman, Music Director; Werner Torkanowsky, previous Music Director. All the standard orchestral repertoire.

Bass Trombone: Fairfax City Band, 1998 and 1999; National Concert Band of America, 1997 to 2005.

Adjunct Instructor of Applied Trombone: University of Maine at Augusta, 1995-1997.

Part time instruction for trombone majors in jazz and commercial music program.

Teacher: Small studio of advanced trombone students, as well as teaching all levels of students on a variety of instruments..

Education:

Ph.D. (Music) University of Maine, 1993  R. B. Hall and the Community Bands of Maine

M.M.Ed. (Winds and Percussion) University of Colorado, 1971.

Ford Foundation Fellowship, 1970-71: Studying quality in 100 selected high school music programs in six regions of the country, including the southwest and northeast.

B.A. (Music) Colby College, 1965

Teaching:

College Level

1996-97 University of Maine at Augusta, Augusta, Maine: Adjunct Instructor in Applied Trombone, part time. Instruction for trombone majors in jazz and commercial music degree program. Intermediate Music Theory and Ear Training (Fall '96) Studio Pedagogy Practicum (Fall, 96)

1973-79 Colby College, Waterville, Maine: Director of the College Band, Instructor in Instrumental Music. Part-time band director for 1500-student liberal arts college. Marching band, concert band, jazz band. Individual instruction on brass instruments; independent study programs for students on recorder, tenor banjo and miscellaneous instruments.

1971-73 Northern Conservatory of Music, Bangor, Maine: Four-year college preparing music educators. Responsibilities included trombone majors, trumpet and horn for non-majors, brass ensembles, coaching for junior and senior recitals. 

K through 12

1999-2000 St. Stephen's and St. Agnes Schools, Alexandria, VA:  High School band and orchestra, middle school advanced band, middle school orchestra.

1989-92 John R. Graham School, Veazie, Maine: Band and Instrumental Music teacher, elementary and middle school. Beginning band classes, sixth grade band, junior high band. Part time.

1979-80 Brewer H. S. Brewer, Maine: Director of Bands And Choruses. Eighty-piece marching and concert band, jazz band, 150-voice chorus. Elementary and advanced music theory classes; music history and appreciation classes for general students.

1965-70 MSAD 22, Hampden, Maine: Director of Instrumental Music. Beginning band classes; sixth grade and junior high band; high school marching, concert and jazz bands. Individual instruction for band students. Built program from nearly non-existent handful of students to a strong, large band with community support.

1964-65 Erskine Academy, S. China, Maine: Band Director. Small band program in a rural high school. Part time while completing undergraduate studies.

Private Studio

1993-2004:  Small studio of advanced trombone students, also teaching students at all levels on a variety of instruments

1971-93: The Gordon Bowie Studio, Bangor, Maine. Weekly half-hour instrumental lessons by appointment to students of all ages. Lessons on: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion, recorder, harmonica, guitar, banjo and bass. Instructor capable of demonstrating proficient performance on all instruments taught.

Performing:

Orchestra

The Bangor Symphony Orchestra: 1965-1997. Bass Trombone: 1965-1978; Principal Trombone: 1978-1984; Bass Trombone: 1984-1997. Thirty-two years' orchestral experience under four music directors and numerous guest conductors. Standard orchestral repertoire.

The McLean Symphony, McLean, VA: 1997-2002. Bass Trombone.

The Friday Morning Music Club Orchestra, Washington, DC. 1999-present. Performing on bass trombone and bass trumpet.

Trombone Soloist

Guest Soloist, National Concert Band of America, November 2000

Guest Soloist, Montgomery Village Community Band, July 1999

Duo Performance with Avron Coleman, cello, National Association of Composers USA, New York, NY, March 1999

Guest Soloist, Eastern Trombone Workshop, Arlington, VA. March 1998

Duo Performance with Diane Roscetti, cello, University of Maine, January 1997

Guest Soloist, Eastern Trombone Workshop, Arlington, VA. March 1995

Guest Soloist, UMaine Brass Workshop with Scott Hartman. April 1995

Soloist and Clinician

The Maine Trombone Festival, Bucksport, ME. Annually, August 1989-present.

The Downeast Center Ring Circus Band, July 1997 and July 1998 (conductor-clinician)

Quartets/Quintets

Legacy Brass Ensemble, 1987 to present

National Concert Bones Trombone Quartet, 1997 to 2005

Tuesday Morning Brass Quintet, 1997 to 2000

Bangor Symphony Brass Quintet, 1982-1985

Acadia Brass Quartet, 1976-1987. Young audience programs in schools throughout Maine; regional arts programming.

Bangor Brass Quartet, 1971-1975. Brass quartet concert repertoire, many premieres.

Band Conducting and Performance 

Montgomery Village Community Band: Conductor, 1999-present

The Bangor Band:  Bass Trombone: 1965-1973; Conductor, 1973-1976; Bass Trombone, 1976-1985; Conductor and Composer-in-Residence, 1985-1997. Band usually performs about thirty concerts each year.

Capital Wind Symphony:  Bass Trombone, 2005-present

Virginia Grand Military Band: Bass Trombone, 1998-present

National Concert Band of America: Bass Trombone, 1997-2005

Fairfax City Band: Bass Trombone, 1998-1999

Miscellaneous Performance

Stammtisch Band: 1966-present; Leader, 1975-present. An authentic German beer hall band, performing imported German repertoire at civic events, weddings and commercial venues.

Hal Wheeler Dance Orchestra: 1971-1997. General business music. Performing on trombone and electric bass.

Musicals, Oratorios, Shows, Dixieland, Big Band, and other free-lance work, 1965-1997. Weekly Dixieland appearances during the summer months.

Adjudicating, clinics and guest conducting:

All-instrument adjudicator, James Bland Music Competition, Alexandria, VA  2002 and 2003

Trombone adjudicator, Virginia Music Educators Association, All-State and District 10, 2000

Guest Conductor, Virginia Grand Military Band: November 2002, November 2001 and May 2000.

Guest Conductor, Montgomery Village Community Band, January and February, 1999

Guest conductor, Virginia Grand Military Band, September, 1998

Guest conductor, National Concert Band of America, May 1998, November 2001 and November 2002.

Guest conductor, North Central Low Brass Workshop, August 1998

Brass adjudicator, Maine State Solo and Ensemble contest, 1985 through 1997.

Band adjudicator, Maine Large Group Festival, 1987-1990

Guest conductor, Portland All-City String Orchestra, 1992

Guest conductor, Hollis Town Band, Hollis, NH. 1986

Guest conductor, University of Maine Symphonic Band, fall 1995 and spring 1979

Brass adjudicator, Pine Tree State Solo Competition, Waterville, ME. 1987

Contest judge, Music Teachers' National Association Composition Competition, spring 1995.

Recent Compositions and Commissions:

Carlisle March for full band, commissioned by the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, PA.  Premiered June, 2005, and recorded by The U.S. Army Band.

Army of Leaders, choral anthem commissioned by the U.S. Army War College Chapel Choir, premiered June, 2005.

Festival Fanfare, commissioned for the Bucksport (ME) Trombone Festival, August 2005.

Current Events March for full band, premiered April 2002; dedicated to The Newseum

Lake Wobegon March for full band, premiered November 2001; dedicated to Garrison Keillor

Fafner and the Firefly, for piccolo trombone and contrabass trombone, 2000; commissioned by Tom Izzo

Old Dances in New Shoes, for Serpent and strings, 1998; written for performance by Douglas Yeo, bass trombonist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra

Festival Prelude for low brass choir, commissioned for the North Central Low Brass Workshop, August 1998, Pub: Serendipity Press, 1998

Second Base Blues for two bass trombones, premiered August, 1997; pub: Serendipity Press, 1998

Tromvision for six trombones or large trombone choir, premiered August, 1997; pub: Serendipity Press, 1999

Sawng for Diane, for musical saw, didgeridoo and hardware percussion, premiered January, 1997

Sonata Duegale, commissioned work for cello and bass trombone, premiered January, 1997. Chosen for performance at the 1999 National Association of Composers, USA (NACUSA) Spring Concert, New York City

Energique for Brass Quintet, pub: Serendipity Press, 1995

USS Maine March, commissioned for the christening of SSBN 741, pub: Serendipity Press, 1994

Concertpiece for Bass Trombone and Piano, pub: Serendipity Press, 1994

Top Kick March to SGM Samuel D. Wyman Jr., ret., pub: Serendipity Press, 1995

Topgallant for Brass Quartet, pub: Serendipity Press, 1993

Then And Now for string orchestra, pub: Velke Music, 1991. Honorable mention, 1986 NSOA composition competition

Adventurous 127th March, for the Bangor Band, 1985 

The Bells of Husson Overture, commissioned by Husson College,1985 

Christmastime Novelty March, 1985.  Published by Ludwig Music in 2004 and re-named Holidaytime March.

Overture for Brass Quintet, pub: Serendipity Press, 1994

Hollis Town Band March commissioned by the Hollis Town Band,1984

The Ghost of the Band Room Concert March,1983

Numerous ensembles, arrangements, transcriptions, etc.

Most Recent Honors:

Guest Conductor, Virginia Grand Military Band, Arlington, VA, December 14, 2002.  Biography and notes published in National Band Companion.  

Premier of Lake Wobegon March, Virginia Grand Military Band, Vienna, VA, November 24, 2001

Conductor and clinician, 16th Annual Bucksport Trombone Festival, August 2002

Conductor and clinician, 15th Annual Bucksport Trombone Festival, August 2001

Guest Conductor, Virginia Grand Military Band, Arlington, VA, May 27, 2000

Conductor and clinician, 14th Annual Bucksport Trombone Festival, August 2000

Sonata Duegale chosen for performance at the 1999 National Association of Composers, USA (NACUSA) Spring Concert, New York City.  Performance by the composer and guest cellist Avron Coleman, March 1999.

Conductor and clinician, 13th Annual Bucksport Trombone Festival, August 1999

Guest Conductor, Virginia Grand Military Band, Arlington, VA, September, 1998

Guest Conductor and featured composer, North Central College Low Brass Workshop, Naperville, IL, August 22-25,1998

Conductor and clinician, 12th Annual Bucksport Trombone Festival, Aug 14, 1998

Guest Conductor, The Downeast Center Ring Circus Band, July 17, 1998

Guest Conductor, National Concert Band of America, May 17, 1998

Performance of Top Kick by the National Concert Band of America, April 26, 1998

Performance of Second Base Blues at the Eastern Trombone Workshop, Ft. Myer, VA, March 19, 1998

Other Memberships, Honors and Offices Held:

1989-present: International Trombone Association.

1997-2004: Music Teachers National Association and DC Music Teachers Association

1995 Included in American Heritage Encyclopedia of Band Music and Musicians as composer of numerous band marches and conductor of the Bangor Band.

1994-1997: Education chairman for Bangor Symphony Orchestra board

1996-1997: Personnel Committee, Bangor Symphony Orchestra board

1995-1997: Program Committee, Bangor Symphony Orchestra

1993 Elected to Pi Kappa Lambda, music honor society. University of Maine chapter.

1984-1997: Music Teachers' National Association and Maine Music Teachers' Association. Adjudicator of adult composition contest, 1994 and 1995.

1965-1983 Music Educators' National Conference and Maine Music Educators' Association. Vice President for Bands, 1978. Parliamentarian, 1971-1977. Delegate to National Committee, 1969.

1975-1979 National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors.

1972-1979 College Band Directors' National Association.

Recent Publications:

2007 R.B. Hall and His Bands, Serendipity Press

1998 Douglas Yeo Clinic in Naperville: A Review, Online Trombone Journal

1997 Proclamation and In Pursuit of a Dream: A Review, Online Trombone Journal

1996 History of the Bangor Band, 1949-88, Bangor Band, Bangor, ME

1993 R.B. Hall and the Community Bands of Maine, UMI

1990 Factors Influencing Membership, Recruitment and Stability in American Adult Amateur Bands, monograph

Grants and Awards:

1997 Maine Community Foundation, A Civil War Band Concert, for historical reenactment, with the Bangor Band

1997 Maine Humanities Commission, Centennial History Project, Gaslight Era Concert, with the Bangor Band

1970 Ford Foundation Leadership Development Program, Full Fellowship.