Biography

Reginald Bowens’ gifted art has wrought him an exceptional background over the years, alongside artists Bobby McFerrin, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Loggins, Kim Burrell, and the New York Voices, to name a few. After completion of his undergraduate degree program at Howard University, he appeared on NBC’s third season of “The Sing-Off” as a contestant, arranger, and music director with Afro-Blue. The group placed fourth out of sixteen a cappella groups from across the globe.

In 2011, Bowens returned to Cleveland and joined The Music Settlement – a community music school – faculty, where he helped further music education in the community with inner-city youth. This experience led him to found A Cappella Camp in 2013, which made several local radio and television appearances. 

Professor Bowens is an accomplished arranger in the a cappella, jazz, and gospel communities. Since he began “doodling” with Finale Notation Software in middle school at Cleveland School of the Arts, his ability to create refreshing arrangements has flourished. His arrangements and performances have brought him recognition in DownBeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards. 

After receiving his first graduate degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Bowens became a faculty member at Cuyahoga Community College where he was the primary voice instructor, and taught courses in traditional and jazz piano studies. In 2019, he joined the faculty at Cleveland State University (CSU) as the jazz voice professor, an inaugural course of study in the School of Music. He also developed a curriculum for gospel piano instruction at CSU. 

He is a second year Assistant Professor of Music in Jazz Studies (Voice, co-coordinator) at Howard University, and a third year scholar in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the Eastman School of Music, majoring in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media, with focuses in Jazz Piano and Jazz Composition. He also minors in music education and is a Catherine Filene Shouse Fellow in the arts leadership certificate program. Professor Bowens is also a brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. He does not know what the future holds, but through his faith and genuine love of the art, he plans to actualize his destiny.