Goin’ Home: A Retrospective

John Lockwood

John Lockwood, who teaches at Berklee, says, “I basically learned on the bandstand. I got called for these gigs that I shouldn’t have taken, I suppose, looking back. People just proceeded to shout and scream at me, and that’s how I learned. Piecing things together. So when I teach it’s the same thing. A student walks in, I teach them the tune, and—bang—we’re off. It’s pretty much playing all the time. Once we get into it there’s sheets and things like that, but it’s mainly playing and then talking about concepts. To me, it’s the best kind of learning. You learn fast.” His career highlights include a B.M. from the Berklee College of Music and performances with Gary Burton, Dance Umbrella, Donal Fox, the Fringe, Eddie Harris, Johnny Hartman, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Dave Liebman, Joe Maneri, Tate Montolia, Makoto Ozone, Joe Pass, Danilo Perez, Pharoah Sanders, Carol Sloane, Clark Terry, Kenny Werner, James Williams, and others.

Phil McGowan

Currently, drummer Phil McGowan can be found throughout greater Boston playing with some of the top jazz musicians in the area, who have included Bruce Gertz, Marshall Wood, Billy Pierce, Greg Hopkins, Russ Hoffmann and Ted Casher, among others. A New England native, McGowan was born in Newburyport MA in 1985. At an early age, McGowan joined with his brother and a local pianist to form a jazz trio, and began his career as a freelance musician. At this time he also began his studies with Les Harris, Jr., who has roots in Newburyport as well. With Harris as a mentor, McGowan was able to hone his skills by sitting in with various legendary musicians at the Press Room in Portsmouth, NH through his middle and high school years. Later on, McGowan was hired as a sideman by some of these musicians, including Herb Pomeroy, Dick Johnson, Ted Casher and Volker Nahrmann. McGowan holds a Music Performance degree in Percussion, with Jazz Studies concentration, from the University of Southern Maine, where he continued his studies with Les Harris while gaining familiarity with different types and traditions of music from around the world. Through his years at music school McGowan continued to freelance, finding himself in concert halls, clubs, music festivals and cruise ships, which ventured into Europe, Africa and Asia. Currently he can be heard weekly at the Andiamo restaurant in Newburyport MA.

Tracy McMullen

Tracy McMullen is an assistant professor of music at Bowdoin College. She has performed with Pauline Oliveros, Anthony Davis, Dana Reason and many others and can be heard on the Cadence jazz label.

Lea Pearson

A teacher and performer for more than 35 years, Lea Pearson studied music, education, psychology and anatomy and holds a BA degree from Hampshire College, an MA from Stanford University and a Doctorate in flute from The Ohio State University. She is a Fulbright scholar and the author of one book, more than 15 articles, and numerous resources on body use. A Certified Health Coach, she is educated in the Alexander Technique and licensed by Andover Educators, the leaders in injury prevention for musicians. Pearson has performed and presented residencies, workshops, classes and private coaching at more than 40 universities and music schools, military bases, festivals, conferences and conventions across the USA and Europe. She is a founding member of Dr. Tony’s Original Ragtime Band and former Artistic Director of the UUNIVERSE! Chamber Music Series.

Shannon Allen

USM student and cellist Shannon Allen is currently pursing a degree in music performance at USM’s School of Music (class of 2015). Born and raised in Portland Maine, Shannon began his cello studies with Katherine Graffam. He subsequently studied with Paul Ross of the Portland String Quartet, and currently studies with William Rounds at USM. He has been an active freelance musician throughout New England for well over a decade, and he enjoys performing in many different genres. Allen serves on the faculty of the Portland Conservatory of Music.