Megan Cooney

Professor Megan Cooney (she/her) joined the music faculty at Rowan University in 2022, after six years of serving as Director of Athletic Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Instructor of Percussion Studies at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Professor Cooney directs the Pride of the Profs Marching Band, the RU Pep Band, Concert Band and teaches percussion methods courses. In her time at Rowan she has built the marching band program to include over 170+ musicians, a front ensemble, drumline, color guard and extensive student leadership team. Under her direction the Concert Band program has grown to over 90+ musicians and is beginning to be recognized for its provocative programming and mature musical execution.

Cooney holds several professional teaching and conducting accolades. Among these awards are Yamaha’s 2021 Top 40 Under 40 Music Educator Award, the St. Ambrose University Career Champion Award, and the St. Ambrose University Student Success Champion Award. In 2021 Cooney was a Grammy Music Educator quarterfinalist. In 2015 she participated as an international conducting fellow with the Cortona Sessions for New Music and in July 2022 was selected as both a CBDNA Mike Moss Conducting Grant recipient, representing underrepresented groups within the music profession, and a conducting participant for the US Army Band Pershing’s Own Conducting Workshop.

Cooney is originally from New Jersey. She earned her B.M. in Instrumental Music Education from Rowan University in 2011 with a concentration in percussion performance studying with Professor Dean Witten. In 2014 Cooney earned her M.M. in Wind Conducting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst studying with Dr. James Patrick Miller. During her graduate degree she continued her study of percussion performance and contemporary music with Professor Ayano Kataoka. Cooney has directed numerous secondary, collegiate, youth, and community ensembles. She has experience teaching with several non-profit music organizations including El Sistema Ravinia, the COR Music Project of Cincinnati, and New Horizons. Prior to her career at the collegiate level she taught music in the public schools at the elementary, middle, and high school level.

In her free time Professor Cooney enjoys hiking, baking, playing competitive pinball and staying active as a performer and guest conductor. Her brass banding experience includes performing as a percussionist with Iowa Brass Band, Tallgrass Brass Band, Atlantic Brass Band, subbing with Chicago Brass Band and the New England Brass Band. Currently she lives in Audubon, New Jersey, with her partner Matthew Hartmann, their three cats, and dog Savannah.