Back in 2008, then-senior Dylan Bowman stepped into the spotlight for Hastings High School’s production of “Footloose,” possibly unaware that he was going to spend a good portion of his life standing on a stage.
Fast forward more than 15 years, and Bowman is coming off sets at Warped Tour and the When We Were Young Festival, performing with his band in front of tens of thousands of screaming, moshing fans.
It’s been a journey full of pinch-me moments for Bowman, now a long-time member of the Detroit-based hard rock/metal band I Prevail. A guitarist and backing vocalist for the Grammy-nominated group, Bowman was born and raised in Hastings. He attended Central Elementary, Hastings Middle School, and finally Hastings High School, where he graduated with the class of 2008.
In a district known for championing the arts, Bowman found the creative spark that would ignite his decade-long career in music. Although great new additions to the district, namely the Hastings Performing Arts Center, didn’t yet exist, the school’s music programs already had a reputation for excellence. Bowman sang in both the middle and high school choirs, and he vividly remembers the teachers who helped him discover his talent.
He repeatedly gave credit to Patti LaJoye and Karen Schoen for helping him find his voice—literally. LaJoye has since retired after nearly 30 years of service to the district. Schoen has eclipsed the 30-year mark and still teaches in the district.
“From a young age, and being in choir from middle school on, they were like ‘Hey, you have something here. You should try to do something with it.’ They were super supportive,” Bowman said of LaJoye and Schoen.
“Those two were a big part of me continuing to use my voice growing up,” he added.
Bowman never played in the school band, but he was already deep into music outside the classroom. He picked up his first guitar at age eight and spent years teaching himself, fueled by basement jam sessions and whatever he could learn from tabs and the radio.
His uncle, who played in local bar bands around Hastings, gave him an early glimpse into the thrill of performing.
After high school, Bowman briefly considered majoring in theater. However, he found himself devoting a lion’s share of his time to guitar and playing bands. While attending Kellogg Community College, he played in bar bands around Battle Creek and Lansing, grinding it out like countless young musicians chasing the next break.
His break finally came when a local producer told him about auditions for a new band called I Prevail. At the time, I Prevail wasn’t touring, but their heavy-rock cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” had gone viral, and they were ready to hit the road to seize on the momentum. Bowman auditioned and landed the gig becoming one of the band’s foundational members.
“I remember I was at a spot in my life where I really, really wanted to pursue music and put everything into that,” Bowman said. “Going into that audition, I could immediately tell everyone in the room felt the same way. Knowing we had the ‘Blank Space’ virality, we were all hungry for more. From that I think we all bonded and kind of formed a brotherhood.”
That brotherhood has taken Bowman places he once only daydreamed about. One of the most surreal moments came when the band’s 2019 album “Trauma” earned a Grammy nomination, sending the kid from Hastings to the biggest night in music.
“That’s when it sunk in with me. I think it cured what was my imposter syndrome,” he said. “It finally made me feel like I belonged (in music).”
Another pinch-me moment came when I Prevail performed at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, an achievement that crystallized just how far his music had carried him.
Now married and living in the Detroit area, Bowman still returns home to Hastings to see family. While you probably won’t find his parents or siblings in a mosh pit any time soon, he said he feels lucky to share his world with them.
“It’s funny, I’ll show my siblings (some of the music) and they’ll just be like ‘I don’t get it, but it sounds exciting,’ because rock was never their thing,” Bowman said with a laugh.
“It’s fun to have them at shows,” he added. “One time, I brought my sister up to the side stage area so she could see and feel the crowd chanting back at us. It’s fun to have those moments.”
Bowman is a prime example of why HASS leans in so heavily to the fine arts: the various paths it can take you.
From performing on stage in a ballet to screaming out vocals to an I Prevail song, Bowman is one of the many Saxons that has proven to be ready for the spotlight.