Powers attended the University of Virginia where he worked at the student radio station, WUVA. He was a member of the UVA Jazz Club, which integrated the university auditorium with a concert by Dizzy Gillespie.
Powers attended the University of Virginia, where he worked at the student-run radio station, WUVA. He was also a member of the UVA Jazz Club, which merged the university's performance space with a live show by the renowned trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.