At the Boston Music Project, we are proud to have an exceptional team with a diverse background of teaching and performance experiences. When our Teaching Artists are not teaching music lessons, they are pursuing their own professional careers as active performers, composers, music producers, dancers, and more!
This year we are excited to welcome Sam Rowley to the BMP Team as a Digital Music Teaching Artist!
Sam Rowley is a Louisiana-bred Boston-based trombonist, bassist, and Hip Hop producer. Growing up outside of New Orleans, he was exposed to Jazz, blues, soul, funk, and Hip Hop from a very young age. Sam went on to study music at Georgia State University in Atlanta, before moving to Boston to finish his undergraduate studies at the Berklee College of Music. During his time at Berklee, Sam studied with Dave Santoro, Bob Guolloti, Tiger Okoshi, Greg Hopkins, Hal Crook, Javier Vercher, and many others who guided him in his development.
Subsequently, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sam elected to move to Spain in order to pursue a Master’s in Contemporary Performance from Berklee Valencia. While in Spain, Sam continued to hone his DAW and hardware production skills, where he released four self-produced projects during his time in Valencia. Since returning to Boston, he has continued to work on new beat tapes and remix projects while also collaborating with local artists.
We asked Sam to share a bit more about his musical background and his life in and around music.
Who were some of your musical inspirations growing up?
“Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Flying Lotus, James Brown, Hal Crook, J Dilla, and James Jamerson/Motown in general.”
What energizes you most as a teacher and as a performer?
“As a teacher, nothing inspires me more than interacting with students who are inspired and excited to be creative. There's nothing like watching that lightbulb go off when something finally clicks for someone who's been putting in the work to learn and grow."
"As a performer, there are these moments where everyone on stage is on the exact same page. When everybody is really really listening, it feels like everyone can read each other's minds, and the musical decisions that come from that kind of communication are what make live performances so exciting.”
What are you most excited about becoming a teaching artist at BMP?
“I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to connect with a lot of students in a creative environment and to help them find their own individual voices as artists.”
Any current or future musical projects you’re working on?
“I'm finishing up the music that will become my debut album as a trombonist and composer. As a producer I have a few collaborative projects in the works with some other artists, and I'm always working on more beat tapes.”
Outside of music, what are some things you do that bring you joy?
“I love snowboarding, cooking, and reading with my cats.”
To learn more about Sam, we invite you to read his full biography on our Teaching Artists page.