Mandy Rowden was born into a fundamentalist Baptist household and raised in East Texas where she was homeschooled throughout her adolescence. The Rowden family was restricted to a regimen of gospel and classical music and, as any respectful child does, she adhered to her parents beliefs while taking up classical violin and piano at a mere six years old. Rowden's parents noticed her natural abilities, and as a result of her insatiable musical wanderlust, or perhaps fearlessness, Rowden rejected her family's notion of what is acceptable and picked up a guitar in high school. With each strum her passion for the instrument grew exponentially; her worldview changed when she unlocked the long forbidden door to rock music at twenty one.
Rowden is a student for life and plays an always-expanding list of instruments that now includes: piano, fiddle, mandolin, bass, harmonica, drums, ukulele, and banjo. She has applied her expertise and passion for music by founding Girl Guitar, a musical workshop and complete "Rock School for women" that involves teaching women of all ages to become confident performers in six-week classes. Ranging from picking up a guitar for the first time to crafting songs, learning drums, and jamming in a Metallica cover band, Girl Guitar's offerings have surpassed Rowden's wildest dreams for the program.