Cleveland-native and vocalist extraordinaire, Reggie Bowens, makes a highly anticipated return to the BOP STOP stage performing alongside bassist, Jordan McBride. Tickets to attend this show in person are $15. In addition, this concert will be livestreamed on the BOP STOP's Facebook page at showtime. Accessing the stream is free but donations to support the band are encouraged and can be made at www.givebutter.com/ReggieBowens

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Cleveland native Reginald Bowens was born into a family of musicians and some of his fondest childhood memories are of car rides in which he would sing church choir songs with his parents and younger brother. His parents have always encouraged him to live up to his fullest potential, especially concerning music, so he grew up singing in many church choirs and eventually, started learning to play instruments like the piano, organ, trombone, and flute — to play in church, and in school ensembles.

Reggie’s gifted art has wrought him an exceptional background over the years, working with accomplished artists such as Bobby McFerrin, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Loggins, and Kim Nazarian, to name a few. After completion of his undergraduate degree program at Washington, D.C.’s Howard University in 2011, he appeared on season three of NBC’s hit a cappella television show “The Sing-Off” as a vocal bass contestant and arranger with Afro-Blue (now Traces of Blue). The group placed fourth out of sixteen a cappella groups from across the globe.

Later that year, Reggie returned to Cleveland and became a faculty member at The Music Settlement – a community music school – where he served in many capacities to help further music education in the Cleveland community, especially with inner-city teenagers and young men from age nine and up. This experience led him to found his A Cappella Camp in 2013 (www.theacappellacamp.com), which recently appeared on Fox 8 News’ Kickin’ It With Kenny. He also serves as the co-director of VocalArts in the Creative Arts Academy at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), and voice instructor of the East Cleveland Community Arts and Mentorship Program.

Reggie is an accomplished arranger in the a cappella and jazz communities, and since he began “doodling” with Finale Notation Software in the seventh grade, while a student at Cleveland School of the Arts, his ability to create refreshing arrangements has flourished. In 2014 and 2015, his arrangements (and performances) brought him recognition in DownBeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards.

After receiving his master of music degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Reggie became a faculty member of the Jazz Studies program at Tri-C where he currently teaches voice and piano. He has worked with iconic musical artists performing multiple genres, and proving that music is a universal language in which he is fluent.

He is currently a doctoral scholar in the Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media program at the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY). He does not know what the future holds, but through his faith and genuine love of the art, he plans to actualize his destiny.

https://www.facebook.com/ReggieBowensMusic