Jeffrey O. Rowser

Biography

Jeffrey O. Rowser is a 2023 Inductee into the National High School Band Directors”Hall of Fame” and a 43-year veteran teacher with many distinctions:  received the John Philip Sousa, “Legion of Honor” in 2023 and 2022 GMEA “Distinguished Service Award”, the 2018 Auburn University “Outstanding Alumni Educator” Award recipient, 2017 “STAR TEACHER”, 2014-15 Morgan County Schools “Teacher of the Year”, 2013-14 “Georgia Music Educator of the Year”. He is a native of Attalla, Alabama and is a 1976 graduate of Etowah High School, where he lettered 3 years in band, basketball and track.  Mr. Rowser later graduated from Auburn University (AU) with his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Music Education.  He was a saxophone major, studying with Lawrence Morgan. He has also studied music arranging with the famed composers, Dr. Johnnie Vinson and Bob Richardson.  He performed his student teaching duties with the legendary Tommy Goff at Auburn High School in 1980.  While at Auburn, he was drum major of the Auburn University Marching Band for three years. His appointment by Dr. Bill Walls made Jeffrey the first African American Drum Major at Auburn University and Southeastern Conference.

Mr. Rowser brings over 40 years of experience in music education.  He was chosen in 2006, to lead the East Jackson Fine Arts Department in Jackson County Schools (GA).  His hiring in 2006-07 was to prepare a Fine Arts Department that would begin its work in August 2007.  He was chosen as “Teacher of the Year'' for East Jackson in 2011.  Prior to East Jackson, he served as a director in Dougherty County, Marietta City Schools(STAR Teacher 1988), with 16 years serving as the founding director at Salem HS (Conyers, GA), where he was “Teacher of the Year'' in 1994 for Rockdale County Schools.  During his career his bands received Superior Ratings in all marching, jazz and symphonic music events.  His bands have won over 600 awards, with 350 of those coming at Salem HS as “Superior, Best-in-Class and Grand Champion” awards in band, drum major, color guard, dance team, winter guard and drumline.  His bands have received special invitations to perform in London, Toronto, Hawaii, Orlando, Hollywood (CA), Kansas City and New York.  His groups performed frequently in the Atlanta Children’s Healthcare Parade televised on WSB-TV2.  The Salem HS Dance Team won 9-State Champion Awards in both Jazz and Pom style competition.  During those years the group also earned a national ranking with the Universal Dance Association held annually in Orlando, Florida.

In 1991, Rowser founded the “Premier Drum Major and Leadership Academy” held annually on high school campuses around the southeast.  His student management workshop, “Team Building Anywhere” is a featured session for band, chorus, student council and athletic groups around Georgia.  He has presented at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic (Chicago) and at GMEA Conferences.  In 2012 he founded the “Premier Drum Major and Leadership Academy '' established at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.  He is a frequent clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor of Regional and State Band events in the Southeast.  He has served on the Georgia Music Educators Association Board of Directors and organized many district events.

He is a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association of Jazz Educators, National Association for Music Educators, Phi Beta Mu Bandmaster Honorary and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.