Erie County Legislator Frank Todaro honored Kenneth Kowalski as Erie County’s Citizen of the Month for the 8th District due to his profound impact on both the community at large and the thousands of students who have interacted with him over the course of his career.
Kenneth Kowalski began his music teaching career in Lancaster in 1984, and since that time has worked at all three Lancaster schools. Under his direction, the Lancaster Middle School band has won several competitions. In fact, since their first-place finish in Springville’s local competition in 1991, the school band has never been outscored by another middle or junior high band in 34 years of competition.
Mr. Kowalski has also directed the Lancaster Carnival Kids Steel Band, which won “Buffalo’s Most Entertaining High School” award in 2010, producing 6 CDs in the process. Many of his students have gone on to have music careers of their own, teaching, playing in philharmonics and working behind the scenes. Kenneth Kowalski was named Educator of the Week by New York State and Channel 2 in 2004 and when he retired in 2021 was honored with the Award for Excellence in Music Education from the Erie County Music Educators Association and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. He remains active in the community.
“Kenneth Kowalski has made an impact on the lives of thousands of children. His impact is also felt throughout the Lancaster community. We have been so fortunate to have him teach our children. He leads by example with grace and is so well deserving of this award,” said Legislator Todaro.
