Ceol Press is the brainchild of educators Mark and Elizabeth Gowman

Mark and Liz are both forward-thinking music educators whose work has flourished into a number of areas, including early-childhood education, and web and graphic design.

Ceol author Mark Gowman regularly presents workshops on Irish music and music education at schools and conferences at the local, state, and national level. These include numerous sessions for the Eastman School of Music, Boston University, the Hochstein School, Nazareth College, the Rochester Flute Association, and the Erie County Music Education Association; the 2003, 2004, and 2012 New York State music education conferences; the ROGUE music education conference; and the 2006 Music Educators National Conference in Salt Lake City.

Mark Gowman has been the 7-12 instrumental music instructor in the East Rochester School District since 2001. A 1995 graduate of the University of Michigan, Mr. Gowman received his degree in music education and trumpet performance and performed as a member of the UM Concert & Symphony Bands, Campus Orchestra, hockey pep band, and basketball pep bands. In the Michigan Marching Band he was 1st trumpet, and his solo in Malagueña was broadcast nationwide at halftime of the Rose Bowl; the following year, he became the only multi-instrumentalist to ever qualify on snare drum in the elite Michigan Drumline. Prior to his time at Michigan, Mr. Gowman was named 1st chair trumpet in the Michigan All-State Band, All-State Jazz Band, and All-State Symphony and, during his senior year of high school, tied with two other students for the highest score in the state on any instrument at the state-wide solo festival. He was also named outstanding soloist at several jazz festivals. For eight years (ages 12-20), Mr. Gowman performed as a member of the 1st Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps as both a fifer and snare drummer, and that experience continues to influence his interest in folk musics and percussion. While in college, Mr. Gowman worked as a music, marching, or drumline instructor with eight different high school bands, including a State Champion (Algonac, MI) and a National Champion (Plymouth Centennial). He started his professional teaching career in a small Michigan district before moving to Baltimore, Maryland. After two years in Baltimore County, Mr. Gowman was named department chairman of the largest music program in that district, and was also one of only twelve music teachers (of 400) invited to write the new eighth grade music curriculum that has since been used by more than 110,000 students. Since coming to East Rochester, he has overseen the development of the music technology lab and recording studio, and has created both the popular Percussion Ensemble and Celtic Music Society, our unique and nationally-recognized Irish music program. Mr. Gowman regularly presents workshops on Irish music and music education, including numerous sessions at the Eastman School of Music, the Hochstein School, and Nazareth College; the 2003 and 2004 NYSSMA state music teacher conferences; and the 2006 Music Educators National Conference in Salt Lake City. Mr. Gowman received his Master of Arts in Music Education from the Eastman School of Music in 2007, and is honored to have received the East Rochester PTA Distinguished Service Award in 2010. When not making music, he loves spending time in the outdoors, traveling to national parks with his family and hiking, kayaking, and riding his mountain bike. He crashes much more than he should.

 

Our Mission

Our mission is simple: All we want is to radically alter the field of music education; spread our love of Irish traditional and other folk/ethnic/indigenous/popular musics  around the world; introduce game-changing, easy to use resources for musicians and educators; and, if it's not too much to ask, we'd like to become filthy stinking rich in the process. All while having enough spare time in the day that we can enjoy life and spend copious amounts of time with our own children.

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