Lowrey’s story

Before coming to DGS, Lowrey left Northeastern Illinois University and founded a recording studio in Atlanta Georgia. There, he spent 10 years working for universal records and his own studio company. He came back to Illinois to finish his teaching certificate at Roosevelt University and later got his masters at NIU.

Recently, Lowrey taught in Elmwood Park, La Grange and Hoffman Estates High School where he worked not only as a head band director but also as assistant principal. Lowrey discussed how his interest in music first began.

“I always had a passion. My mom was a radio DJ in Chicago for WVON Radio, so she got all the promotional copies for all of the records. So we had stacks of records, like five feet high all around our house,” Lowrey said.

Lowrey started listening to rap music at just age six, began sampling it, and even coined the rapper name “Jammin J.” He received his first drum set at 10, and first saxophone at 11, which allowed him to grow his musical pursuits. Lowrey even sang gospel music with the deacon at the Rock of Ages Church in Maywood every Sunday.

However, Lowrey discussed how he didn’t even plan on pursuing the position he has now.

“[I] Didn’t even think about it at all,” Lowrey said.

The reason Lowrey left NIU in the first place was because he was “afraid of teaching.” The reason behind this being that he wasn’t sure he wanted to settle on one career for the rest of his life and wanted to try everything else out first. Lowrey says he always wanted to be an artist and a performer but didn’t make the move to teaching until his late twenties.