James McGowan (PhD Eastman) is an Associate Professor of Music and Supervisor of Performance Studies at Carleton University, where he teaches music theory and composition. He is a passionate educator and has won several teaching awards. He is the Managing Director of the Carleton Jazz Camp and Song-to-Stage Camp, and he serves on the Board of Directors of the Lotus Centre for Special Music Education in Ottawa. Embracing multiple styles of music, Dr. McGowan is a solo and collaborative pianist, equally at home in jazz, classical and improvised music, as well as a variety of vocal and instrumental styles. He has won grants (2022 and 2025) from the Canada Council for the Arts to produce shows and record albums – including Reaching In and Reaching Out – for his 14-member James McGowan Ensemble. He is now producing Threads of Fate, a production with an award-winning physical theatre troupe. In 2025, James released his eighth album as leader/co-leader with Collected Strands, an improvising chamber music quartet.