Lamar School is thrilled to welcome Carrie Owens to our faculty as the new secondary music instructor for grades 6–12. With 25 years of experience in music education, Carrie brings a wealth of knowledge, energy, and heart to our campus.

In addition to her work with middle and high school students, she will also teach several upper elementary music classes, helping to enrich the musical foundation of our younger Raiders.

Carrie is passionate about teaching middle and high school students and says her favorite part is “watching them grow and enjoy music, seeing the value it has, and how it even helps them in other subject areas.”

A fourth-generation educator, Carrie felt a clear calling to the classroom. “Even though I didn’t originally plan to teach, the Lord called me to be in the classroom,” she says. She holds a Master’s degree in Music with a focus in conducting from Mississippi College (2003) and has served as choral music director at Olde Towne Middle School in Ridgeland, Germantown High School in Madison, Newton County High School and most recently Quitman Jr. High School. 

At Lamar, Carrie is excited to build a strong and vibrant secondary music program. Her focus this year will be music literacy, with fun hands-on activities like bucket drumming and a Christmas concert already in the works. One of her long-term goals is to prepare students to earn music scholarships after graduation.

Carrie and her husband Steve have two children—Alexandra, a sophomore at Mississippi State, and Luke, a sophomore at Newton County High School. Outside the classroom, she enjoys collecting vintage items and traveling—especially to Florida, Key West, and Disney. She and her husband are also restoring a charming 1870s farmhouse in their spare time.

Fun Facts: She’s a morning person, loves coffee, and has seen Elton John live in concert!