Alumna, Allison Cowan, Top 50

School Band and Orchestra Magazine named MTSU School of Music alumna, Allison Cowan (formerly Franklin - music education, violin) was recognized in SBO magazine as one of the 50 directors who make a difference (she is representing Tennessee).     
See their top picks here.

TENNESSEE
Allison Cowan
Centennial High School
Franklin, Tennessee
Total Years Teaching: 17 years


Allison CowanWhat is your proudest moment as an educator?

My proudest moment wasn’t about a great concert or the trophies brought home from a competition. It was about one young man with a very hard life. At my winter guitar concert, he was fascinated with the fact that his name was in the program. He had never been on stage and no one had every applauded anything he had done. As the group received a stand ovation that evening, I remember the pure wonder and joy on his face. Trophies and accolades are great, but the best part of our job is to give students amazing experiences.

How do you hope to make a difference in your students’ lives?

Everyone’s dreams and aspirations are different. I hope to assist students in fulfilling their potential. For some, that may mean just graduating from high school. For others, that may mean a recording contract or that may be a music scholarship to a great college. I hope that students will know that I listened to them and did everything in my power to ensure their success.

What’s the most important lesson that you try to teach your students?

I want them to have the confidence to try new things. I want them to understand that even if they fail, they learn great lessons. I want them to dust themselves off when they stumble and keep on going. We teach more than just the notes on the page. We teach students that they can achieve any goal as long as they create a plan and follow through with their plan. Ultimately, I want my students to be able to achieve their dreams, make mistakes, laugh at themselves, and keep persevering.