Matt Bowman of Jackson, Tennessee didn’t expect to live in Boulder, Montana.
A musician and educator, Bowman and his wife Kary first looked at moving to the Treasure State as a practicality. For a teachers’ license, Montana out-of-state tuition was cheaper than Tennessee in-state tuition.
Bowman wasn’t sure where he’d land after graduating from Montana State University-Billings in 2014, but, fortunately, one of his professors tipped him off about the opportunity in Boulder, and he jumped right on it.
Still, it was a big leap, one Bowman said has come with many blessings. His wife and two children (eight and 10) agree.
For the past eight years, Bowman has had the rare opportunity to build the foundation for his own music program, teaching at both Boulder Elementary School and Jefferson High.
“I feel lucky,” he said. “Everything is built based on my vision, and I’m grateful the administration at both schools have been supportive. I couldn’t ask for a better situation. Colleagues from back home are envious.”
Part of this vision, Bowman said, is to “keep it fun.” He does this is by listening to the interests of the students, be it in his band, choir or pep band. If there’s a song they really want to play, he said, often he’ll give it a try. “This year [students] wanted to do ‘Stacy’s Mom’ by Fountains of Wayne, and I was like, ‘OK.’”
Bowman also inspires students by taking them on trips. They’ve gone to both Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California and Disney World in Orlando, Florida. He’s also taken the students to his stomping grounds of Tennessee, where they got to explore Nashville and visit the Grand Ole Opry, where they saw the late Charlie Daniels perform. Bowman also took them to Graceland and his hometown of Jackson, where they put on a concert in front of his friends and family. Bowman still laughs about that trip, as he said the students seemed most excited to meet his mom.
When it comes to his teaching philosophy Bowman wants the students to be excited about the music, and he’s willing to take risks in this regard. In February, students of Bowman’s put together the rock band Citrus Lips and he invited them to perform during the music program’s Valentine’s Day Dinner fundraiser. The group consisted of Matt Young, Clare Ronayne, Maria Mest, Aliza Hays and Caleb Smartnick.
“If kids are interested in something and are willing to put effort into it, I’m willing to give them a platform to showcase it,” Bowman said. “Yes, we do a lot of traditional, classical music, but if a group is working hard and developing their talent, I love giving them an opportunity.”
Giving Citrus Lips a chance to showcase their talents and perform songs by Radiohead and Tyler Childers is an example of how Bowman appreciates and supports individual artistic expression.
Music has always been a passion for Bowman – who is currently pursuing his masters – and teaching it is what he considers his true calling.“I want to be the kind of music teacher I wish I had when I was their age,” he said, meaning he wants the students’ interests not just to be heard but to become part of the curriculum.
Young said he appreciates Bowman’s style.
“[Bowman] really cares about the music and about the people playing the music,” Young said. “He puts so much thought into it all, and also knows how to laugh, which I appreciate.”
It’s this kind of attention to the students and their interests that keeps them excited about the class, especially when it’s combined with having fun, Bowman said. It’s his goal for the class to bring joy and encourage students to believe in themselves. When students tell him how important his program has been, and – in some cases – how it’s changed their lives, he knows this mission is being accomplished.
“Some students have told me my class has helped them come to school when they didn’t want to come to school,” he said. “Students have told me things like, ‘If it wasn’t for music I might not have made it’ or ‘When I’m playing music, life isn’t as hard right now.’”
Bowman said he can relate.
“I often feel when I have hard days music is what helps me through,” he said.
Music creates many memorable moments each year, Bowman said, but this school year is particularly heartwarming for him, as two 2023 graduates have been part of Bowman’s program since the very beginning: Citrus Lips members Smartnick and Hays.
“It’s been special to see them grow from fifth graders to where they are today,” Bowman said. “When they started they didn’t even know what the horn did, and now they are confident in what they are doing and have become strong leaders in the band.”
Seeing this kind of development is what Bowman said he finds most rewarding about his job. He’s seen a lot of growth from his students, be it at school concerts or the state music festival, where he said the percussion ensemble and saxophone quartet did especially well this year.
In his eight years, Bowman said he’s seen many students excel, and he can take credit for some of it, but ultimately, how much a student develops is up to them.
“I can only show them the way,” he said. “I like to say ‘I’m the sun that gets the light rays, but you’re the water and the plant food that feeds your talent.’”
Bowman said many students have bought into this philosophy, and have put in the work. For example, when Izzy Gasch joined the class two years ago she had very little confidence in her voice, and, on May 5, she performed a vocal solo at the state music festival to rave reviews.
This is just one of many examples as to why Bowman appreciates the possibilities offered at a small school versus a place like Jackson, with a population of close to 70,000 people. In Boulder, versatility is encouraged, and he’s glad to see so many students not taking it for granted. He doesn’t, either as he’s right where he wants to be, sharing the magic of music.
