Letter From a Current Student, Class of '08

In a letter dated July 17, 2007, one of Ellen Bowen’s current students wrote:

Ellen has been an extraordinary influence on me not only as a musician, but a person. Ellen Bowen is the person who showed interest in my talent and gave me every possible means by which to develop it. From playing in pit orchestras, allowing me to play famous pipe organs on our European tour in 2006, and even allowing me to conduct the GPS graduation ceremony this year. It is because of Ellen and her support that I plan on majoring in music. She is the one who suggested that I start taking organ lessons, and I now love it and plan to major in it. Ellen also believes that I could someday conduct major orchestras and does everything she can to help me, most recently appointing me as a student director of the freshmen women. She brings out talents in certain people, me included, that I never thought were possible. She gave me a leading role in South's production of Beauty and the Beast and I never imagined that I would be able to play my part as well as I did. As a person, Ellen has showed me that if you really desiresomething, you never give up. Her rehearsals teach time management skills, and I find it very hard to get started and focus on my homework on nights when I don't have choir. She is not only the best music teacher I've ever had, but the best teacher that I'veever had, and a most importantly a terrific person.