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CONVERSATIONS

A Conversation on Collaboration with Judy Bowers

by Jeffrey Benson

Judy Bowers, Professor Emerita at the it’s a win-win. It’s not a partnership if two groups or
Florida State University College of two people come together and one of them has all the
Music, retired after almost three de- power while the other does not. But if everybody wins,
cades. Bowers has taught music educa- things are better, usually for everybody. It’s a very posi-
tion classes and choirs, in addition to tive way to live life. This was my rule from the earliest
conducting numerous all state/honor partnerships (I learned this in my counseling master’s
choirs in the U.S., Canada, and Africa. A unifying program). Each partner must benefit somewhat equal-
principle in all these settings has been the use of De- ly, and each has a voice in determining how the part-
velopmental Teaching strategies, which allows singers nership might work. If all of us have a say, then it will
of varying skills to successfully rehearse and perform likely be a success.
together. Music partnerships between university stu- My starting point is always: know thyself! It’s incred-
dents and school/community participants have served ibly important to know who you are and know what
as building blocks for university students to master skills you care about. For me, I always wanted to be a teach-
in music teaching. In 2014, Dr. Bowers was inducted as er. I wasn’t sure it would be music until about the ninth
a Lowell Mason National Music Education Fellow. grade, but always knew I’d be a teacher. In addition to
music education degrees, I also hold a master’s in guid-
ance and counseling because I had no access to gradu-
How did your career filled with partnerships ate music education study. We all know that we deal
and collaborations get started? with music, but we deal with people first and foremost,
so I thought counseling was a reasonable option. If we
First and foremost, I’m a teacher, and all of my start from educating and wanting to help the whole
collaborations/partnerships were a response to some person, then partnerships and collaborations naturally
problem or need in my classroom. I like partnerships come out of that, and my graduate counseling study
because the premise of a true collaboration is that was a convenient accident.

CHORAL JOURNAL October 2024 Volume 65 Number 3 45