Clinician: DON OWENS

Don Owens, Coordinator Emeritus of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, Director Emeritus, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and the National High School Music Institute at Northwestern University, began his tenure at Northwestern University in 1979.  Before coming to Northwestern, he taught for twelve years at Evanston (Illinois) Township High School where his duties included directing band, brass ensembles, and jazz band, as well as teaching classes in music theory, popular music, and composition.  He created the Electronic Music Studio at ETHS in 1971.  Many of his ETHS students went on to become music majors at many of the major Schools of Music in the United States and Canada.

Owens received the Bachelor of Music Education degree from North Texas State University, where he also studied Composition and Jazz.  His Master of Musical Arts degree is from the University of Illinois, where he majored in Composition.  He studied composition with Morgan Powell, Merrill Ellis, Samuel Adler, and Salvatore Martirano.  He has won several grants and awards, and is regularly commissioned for new works.

In his first few years at Northwestern, Mr. Owens conducted the Nationally renowned Jazz Ensemble, directed the "Wildcat” Marching Band and Symphonic Band, and taught advanced Method classes for undergraduate Music Education Majors.  He eventually was appointed Coordinator of the Jazz Studies and Pedagogy Program, teaching courses in Jazz Writing, Seminar in Jazz Pedagogy, Jazz in the Public Schools, and conducted the Jazz Ensemble.  Under his leadership, the Northwestern Jazz Program grew to offer the B.M. in Jazz Studies and the M.M. in Jazz Pedagogy.

In addition to Owens' responsibilities in the Jazz area, he served as Director and Primary Conductor of the internationally acclaimed Contemporary Music Ensemble for over 20 years.  This group performed over 200 world premiers, as well as the standard 20th century repertory.  In 1991, the Northwestern CME served as the primary chamber music ensemble for the John Cage Now World Festival.  In the spring of 1995, the NUCME served as one of two visiting Artist Ensembles for the National Meeting of the Society of Composers at the University of Iowa.  In 2002, the CME played a major part in the Stephan Wolpe Festival, sponsored by the School of Music.

During the summers, Owens served as Director of the National High School Music Institute, from 1991 to 2004.  Under his leadership, the enrollment increased by 100%.  NHSMI continues to thrive as a Pre-Collegiate Music Major Experience for high school-aged students.  With a curriculum that requires the attending students to declare a Major - Classical Guitar, Composition, Jazz Studies, Music Education, Piano, Strings, Voice, or Winds and Percussion- NHSMI has consistently attracted students from all 50 states, as well as many foreign countries.

Mr. Owens is an internationally recognized clinician/conductor.  He has served as an adjudicator and has conducted Festival and All-State Concert and Jazz Bands in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, Canada, Greece, Germany, and Norway.  As a conductor, he has shared in the art of music making with world famous figures from both the Jazz and Contemporary Classical idioms.  His compositions have been performed across America, as well as in Canada, England, Greece, Germany, Japan, Norway, and South America.