Daniel Fowler

How I Got Started

I began playing the trumpet in 7th grade, and for two years I sang tenor in my high school's literary quartet. I enjoyed reading music and I responded emotionally to beautiful harmony. In 2005, my sophomore year at UGA, I had heard that the BCM student ministry needed some brass players to fill their pit orchestra for an upcoming production. I learned that they annually put on a dinner theatre show as a fundraiser for summer missions. This would become my first exposure to the world of musical theatre.

The production was 42nd Street (2005) and I found the ensemble music to be very challenging and fulfilling. When we began rehearsing with the cast, however, I quickly realized that my attention was constantly withdrawn from my music. I couldn't help but to sing along with the cast during every moment that my trumpet was not against my lips. The tap dancing and ensemble vocals were more than I could bear. I wanted to be on that stage more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life.

The following year, Cinderella (2006) was selected to be the dinner theatre production at BCM. I auditioned but because I was not particularly excited about this choice of show, I only auditioned for the role of "Prince Charming." Otherwise, as I noted on my audition application, "I'd prefer to play with the orchestra." Well I simply wasn't Prince material I guess, and so passed another year with my band brethren.

The third year of my engagement with dinner theatre, the production was to be a show I had never heard of before called Thoroughly Modern Millie (2007). I honestly didn't know the name of it when I auditioned but had heard that it was very musically similar to 42nd Street. So I sang one of those solo numbers that I had learned so well two years earlier, and would end up being cast as the lead role – a gift from God that began a lifelong pursuit of performing on stage.