This is Arts and Humanities Month and a 2025 Inductee to the Greene County High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame has made a career in the fine arts.

Carl Rowles is a 2005 Jefferson-Scranton High School graduate, he earned his bachelor’s degree in music from Simpson College, where he originally went on a vocal scholarship, and while in high school, was a three-time All-Stater in choir. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio in his freshmen year at Simpson, he wasn’t interested in singing opera-style songs, but re-found his love for instrumental music with the band. 

Rowles points out that he also played trumpet in the orchestra and was next to his trumpet teacher, who was also the principal trumpet player in the Des Moines Symphony. He recalls a conversation he had while at Simpson College that solidified his choice to pursue instrumental music.

“My piano teacher, Dr. (Robert) Larsen, he headed the opera program, he was at one point, like you have the voice of a singer, but just not the heart. And on the one hand, you’re like, ‘That’s kind of a slight.’ But at the second time, like, ‘Okay cool, like I’m happy doing what I’m doing.’” 

Having earned his doctorate degree at the University of Iowa and is currently the band director at Cedar Rapids-Jefferson High School, Rowles shares some advice to high school students on how they can also make fine arts an enjoyable career. 

“It’s kind of a misnomer that like the arts don’t provide anything of monetary value. If we think just even economically, what does a show bring into town, whether you’re involved in the ticketing office, or you’re in a show, or you’re behind the scenes. People go out to dinner, so that’s bringing money into restaurants, people stay overnight, that’s bringing money to hotels. Like, the arts provides small town economies, or that small economy around a performing arts center. So, whether that’s in the performing arts or visual arts, like there’s an economy around that.”

Rowles acknowledges that you need to be dedicated to your craft and harness your skill set, have connections to other people in whatever industry and prove to people you can be trusted to be a professional.