Vonda K. Bowling
Vonda K. Bowling is a sought after Music Director, Pianist, Accompanist, Conductor, Voice Teacher, and Vocal Coach in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. In her 15+ years of Music Directing, she has had the privilege to work with many Broadway and Off-Broadway Music Directors, Conductors, Directors, Choreographers and Actors; including Stephen Oremus, Dominick Amendum, Michael O. Mitchell, Rickey Tripp, Dan Domenech, Ann Yee, Gerry McIntyre, Edward G. Robinson, and André De Shields. For the last 18 years, Mrs. Bowling, along with director, Mark Mullino, directs Dallas Young Artists, a successful musical theatre summer camp for ages 6-18. Alumni grace the stages of DFW, Disney Cruise Lines, Broadway and Off-Broadway. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Shorter College in Rome, Georgia, and an MFA in Voice Performance from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mrs. Bowling also has 20+ years experience as a choir director and conductor. She lives in Rowlett, Texas, with her husband Jeffrey, their sons Harrison and Mason, dog Ranger, and cats Sonny and Nina. She dedicates every performance to the memory of Terry Dobson (TD), her music directing mentor.
Just a little about me…
All my life I played the piano. From the moment I could utter a sound, I was singing. I honestly didn’t know a lot about musical theatre. Although I grew up watching West Side Story, The Sound of Music, Grease and Guys and Dolls, I didn’t know that it was something I could actually DO!
In undergrad I knew I wanted to be an opera singer. I had the skill, I had the desire, so I went to grad school to do it. To be an opera singer. Well, as life often does, it had other plans. I married Jeffrey Bowling, we moved to Texas and then I taught school for almost 20 years. So no, not an opera singer.
Around 2005, I was asked to play rehearsals for a production of Grease, and as they say, the rest is history. I went from playing rehearsals and auditions to being in the room for World Premieres at Dallas Theater Center. How did that happen? In the words of Baby Houseman, “I [just] carried a watermelon.” For almost 20 years, I have consistently worked in and around Dallas/Fort Worth and in 2016, I quit my full time job to teach private voice and Music Direct. Barefoot, like the picture shows.
I am also a (very) vocal advocate for the Music Director to be included in all audition and show announcements, social media posts, and be an integral member of the creative team. Most importantly, I have a strong desire and dedication to inclusivity and have a track record of including many diverse groups, people of color, female and gender non-conforming, and other historically marginalized groups, as a part of my orchestra and music team. YAY BAND!
