OWNER

Morgan T. Cowell, Registered Piano Technician is a Nebraska native. He started taking piano lessons at the age of 4, and by the age of 14 had his own teaching studio. While attaining a degree in music, he quickly discovered his passion for the mechanical side of piano artistry. Morgan immediately enrolled at the North Bennet Street School, North America’s premier trade school for artistic craftsmanship. During his training became certified in Piano Technology, and was designated a Registered Piano Technician within the Piano Technicians Guild. Upon graduation, Morgan immediately came back to his home state and founded M.T. Cowell Piano Services, what would eventually become Great Plains Piano. He continues to make music from both sides of the keyboard and is an active part of the local music community.

A graduate of the Chicago School of Piano Technology (CSPT), Adam is the former Chief Piano Technician for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and brings 12 years of service and professional experience to the company. Adam discovered his love for high-end institutional work while working as a Senior Piano Technician Fellow at Tanglewood Music Center, home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. While at UNL, Adam was the primary concert technician for the Lied Center, preparing pianos for some of the most prominent names in the classical music world such as: Emanuel Ax, Yo-Yo Ma, Yuja Wang, Barry Douglas, Gabriela Montero, among others.

“I absolutely love what I do. It gives me an immense amount of satisfaction to have a career focused on maximizing the joy other people get out of playing and/or listening to this wonderful instrument, the piano. In a very basic sense, when the job is done well I'm spreading harmony and happiness, and frankly, it doesn't get much better than that.”

A Lincoln native, Ben is excited to be the newest member of our Great Plains Piano team! Ben is a June 2024 graduate of the Basic Piano Technology program at the North Bennett Street School in Boston. That following month, Ben successfully passed his remaining exams at our annual Piano Technician's Guild convention to become a Registered Piano Technician (RPT)!

Liz is a Lincoln, Nebraska native and began piano lessons at the age of 6. While in high school, she developed a love for musical theatre and collaborative piano, which led her to pursue her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Direction for Musical Theatre from Doane University.

A mentee of Morgan, Liz is well on her way to becoming a Registered Piano Technician (RPT). She especially enjoys learning about the piano from a mechanical standpoint and educating clients on comprehensive piano care and maintenance. “I am so grateful for Morgan, his expertise, support, and investment in me, and I’m excited to continue shaping my career path as a technician.”

Liz resides in Council Bluffs, Iowa with her husband, Michael, and two children, Garrett and Bradyn. She is also on the music staff at St. Timothy’s Lutheran in Omaha, and is active in the local theatre community as a music director and keyboardist.

Mark is an active freelance bassist in the Omaha area. He has played with the Omaha Symphony and was the Principal Bassist of the Sioux City Symphony, and he is currently a member of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. Mark has performed with many different jazz ensembles, everything from duos to big bands including the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, the Bluffs Big Band, the Las Vegas Lab Band, the Omaha Big Band, and numerous small groups. He has also performed with blues bands, pop/rock bands, worship bands and musical theater pit orchestras including the Broadway touring productions of Wicked, The Book of Mormon, Billy Elliot, Chicago, White Christmas, The Phantom of the Opera, Beautiful, Something Rotten, The Sound of Music, Pippin, and Grease, as well as for numerous musical theater productions at the Omaha Community Playhouse. With Mark's own jazz group, Novak & Haar, he has recorded “A Summer’s Carol,” and “A Winter’s Carol," and “Old Friends." All three of these albums have received both national and international attention. In November of 2019, Mark joined Mannheim Steamroller’s 35th Christmas tour. Along with performing, Mark has taught electric bass guitar and double bass at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Iowa Western Community College, Grace University, and Nebraska Christian College. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA and a Masters of Music degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

Louis, our head rebuilder, joins us from Premier Piano, a certified Steinway Restoration facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At just 26 years old, he has crafted and installed over 250 soundboards, bridges, and pinblocks.

Louis grew up in Eagle Grove, Iowa and showed an interest in music at a very early age, beginning violin at 3, piano at 6, and trumpet at 8. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music - Organ Performance and Business Management from Iowa State. Shortly thereafter, he began as an apprentice at Premier Piano, eventually becoming their lead bellyman - rebuilding soundboards, bridges, and pinblocks. His expertise will help us to improve efficiency in our rebuilding and restoration facility, all while maintaining our standard of production.