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GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT ME

From the beginning...

I was born in 1973 at Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, New York to James and Barbara Bowell (pronounced Bōw-ĕll). I have a sister who is 5 years older. While my sister lived in my parents' first apartment for a short time, I only lived in their first house. They still live there to this day. Over the years, the neighborhood has expanded greatly, but, other than cosmetic updates, that section has changed little. Even many of the neighbors are the original owners of the houses.

My family has always had a love of music. Though it has moved from one wall to another over the years, my mother's piano has always had a place in the living room. Even my father enjoys having music around him, though he doesn't play an instrument. Like my mother and sister, I took piano lessons. I participated in several state competitions and scored well in the rankings. In addition, both my sister and I sang in our church choir for several years, accompanied by one of the city's finest church organs (it was actually featured in a commercially available record of organ music at one point).

All through grade school, I attended Chenango Forks Central Schools. I joined the school concert band in the third grade. While I took piano lessons outside of school, I played the trumpet in the band. I continued this through high school when I switched to the baritone horn for concert band. This not only meant playing a much larger instrument, but switching to the bass clef, as well. I also joined the school jazz band and played bass trumpet, similar in sound to a trombone, but with valves instead of a slide. I played the same instrument in the marching band. In addition to participating in parades, the marching band performed at football games and participated in events at both Busch Gardens and Sea World. The concert and jazz bands often performed for the public as well as school ceremonies.

Like any kid, I watched my share of TV, but unlike others, I constantly wondered how it all worked. My interest didn't stop with the shows, either. While most people would run to the fridge during commercial breaks, I'd watch them all. In fact, family members would sometimes observe me watching the commercials, but taking a break during the actual show. I knew there was something special about these short little advertisements. The best ones led you through a beginning, middle and end, holding your interest, compelling you to buy. They were like micro versions of TV shows, an entire plot in 30 seconds.

Of course, the actual TV shows had their influence, too. When I wondered how all those effects were done in the show "Knight Rider", my parents bought me a copy of a computer magazine for kids (called "Enter") featuring a behind the scenes look at the series. While I loved the explanation of how the show was made, the rest of the magazine made me take a much closer look at the IBM PCjr that had recently been purchased (for a reasonable $2700 in 1983) for our home. Before that magazine, the computer had been a fun gaming machine, but not much else. I began using the programming exercises contained in each issue to learn more about this intriguing machine. I was slowly laying a gradual foundation for myself in both TV and computers, which is paying off now more than ever.

During high school, home video cameras that used full size VHS tapes were becoming affordable at the bargain price of just under $1000. Access to a video camera started my path of creating my own productions. I began making mini-movies with my friends, creating edited videos of events in my Boy Scout troop and even shooting a series of videos for my high school's camping and hiking class as my Eagle Project. My career plans had been set, and I had a plan. However, I quickly learned that sometimes fate can help things along.

Upon graduation from high school, I had intended to enter the Army under the GI bill to pay for private college (my goal was to attend Hofstra University). However, in a fluke circumstance, I did not meet the Army's minimum weight requirement. Three months later, despite trying everything to gain the few necessary pounds, I weighed in exactly the same as before.

Unfortunately, it was then very late in the year - too late to be admitted to Hofstra. In addition, money was very much an issue. I elected to take advantage of late admissions at Broome Community College, a local two-year college that is part of the SUNY system. I planned to transfer after completing my Associate degree. However, things again took an unforeseen route.

It turns out, my inability to be accepted into the army and the delay that caused me to attend community college both worked in my favor. Right before my last semester, I was hired as a master control operator at the Binghamton ABC affiliate. I was able to finish my last semester by going to school full time mornings and working full time nights at the station. Surprisingly, I was still able to keep my grades high enough to make the Dean's list that quarter, despite the hard schedule. The net result was I had a degree for the bargain price of $3500 (instead of the $35,000 a year for Hofstra) and a real TV job. I worked in the master control position for two years, before I was promoted to Creative Services Director, which entailed making commercials for local businesses. From watching ads on TV, to making them for a living, everything was coming full circle.

My career continues....

From the ABC affiliate, I moved a bit West to Elmira, New York to work at an NBC affiliate station. I started out in the Binghamton bureau location, but moved to the main station when a morning show was introduced into the lineup.

I currently work for ESPN sports network, at the headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut. I joined the staff as an editor in 1997, and I've performed many tasks for the network since then. In my time there, I've seen the network go from primarily U-matic 3/4" analog tape to the current non-linear, high definition video environment. The campus has also expanded from 7 buildings on around 20 acres, to around 15 buildings on 65 acres, with no end to the expansion in sight.

For a complete rundown on my work experience, check out the "My Work" section of this site. There, you'll find a complete resumé, demos of my work and photos of past and present job environments.

The present...

I live a few minutes from ESPN in Bristol, CT. When I'm not working, I enjoy several hobbies, which you can learn about in my hobbies section. During the Fall, I bowl with fellow ESPN employees on a weekly league. I enjoy listening to music and watching DVDs and have built large collections of both. I like to work with computers in many aspects, including graphics and web publishing, video editing and even building and repairing systems.

Some of my personal favorites:

Favorite Movies: "The Shawshank Redemption", "Young Frankenstein" "Almost Famous", "North By Northwest", "Empire of the Sun" and "The Shining"
Favorite TV shows: "Lost", "Heroes", "The Shield", "The Simpsons" and "Battestar Galactica"
Favorite Musical Artists: Maynard Ferguson, Bon Jovi and Maroon 5
Favorite Foods: Coffee Ice Cream, Eggplant Parmigiana and just about any type of pasta.
Favorite Hobbies: Photography, Web Publishing and Model Railroading