Follow Your Passions

The Honors Program welcomes Dr. Luke Howard as an Alcuin Fellow for 2019-2021. The Alcuin Fellow Award is given to outstanding professors across campus who exemplify the pillars of the Honors Program. Recipients have the opportunity to create an interdisciplinary Honors 200- level course in coordination with another Alcuin Fellow.

Music to Dr. Howard is not just a passion; it is a way of life. Dr. Howard is an Associate Professor in the BYU School of Music in Music History, and his research focuses primarily on how pop culture appropriates classical music.

It is a common experience for students at BYU to discover new passions and talents during their undergraduate studies. Dr. Howard was no different as he received his B.Mus.Ed. degree from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Music Education and Piano Performance but then made a definitive shift when it was time to do his graduate studies. “I pivoted from [studying] Music Education to Music History primarily because of my experiences as an undergraduate. I found that I really loved the process of research, I was a good writer, and that I needed music in my life. Even though I was licensed to teach in schools, what really floated my boat was digging deep, exploring, and then synthesizing information into something written that other people could read and learn from.”

Once he found the nexus where his passions and talents met, Dr. Howard did not confine himself to a specific ideal. He took advantage of opportunities as they came up- even opportunities to come and study on another continent. “Coming and living in the States was never the plan. I landed here almost by accident for graduate school, and then I stayed and got a doctorate. Then by another accident, I landed a job. I needed a place to stay so I bought a house, and then I ran into a beautiful young lady who became my wife. I didn’t think it would turn out like this but now I’ve got a job in America with a mortgage and family, so I stayed.” Even though he planned throughout all of graduate school to go back to Australia, by being open to opportunities Dr. Howard says, “I was able to have my dream career.”

Now at BYU, Dr. Howard thrives and is in his element. “I pursued music history graduate degrees and now I’ve ended up at BYU where I get to talk about music in a broader cultural context. I teach History of Civilization classes through the School of Music [Music 201 & 202], and these classes help me to branch out into all the other things I love: literature, philosophy, the arts, painting, dance, and so on. This is my dream job. I never thought that I would be here but now that I am and I’ve had a chance to settle in, this job was made for me.”

His passion for music and performance extends to all aspects of Dr. Howard’s life. “I sing with the Tabernacle Choir, it takes up a lot of my time. It’s my therapy, my alone time, a time for when I’m not with students or family. It is musical activity, and it keeps me performing so I’m not just thinking about music cerebrally as an intellectual exercise but also as a social exercise, something we do with and for each other. That is important to me; it’s an extension of what I do here at BYU.” He adds that in any of the upcoming General Conferences or performances of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, you should be able to see him on the edge of the choir, a little towards the back in the bass section.

Winter 2019 marks the inaugural semester for Dr. Luke Howard and Jacob Rugh’s HONRS 227 course, “Race and Music” which combines the perspective of social science with the arts. “My favorite part of this Honors course experience has been finding out what the students are learning and thinking. This course is a stretch for me- I know the music part, but the sociology and race aspect has been a real eye-opener for me. To then see students take that on board and expanding their knowledge in both directions…the insights and knowledge that they are formulating have just blown me away sometimes. The things that they are able to recognize, connect, and then express about what they see in the world around them speaks volumes to the caliber of students that they are.”

Years into his career, Dr. Howard lives in his picturesque version of the American Dream with his wife, two young daughters, and a goldendoodle named Marigold in their home on their quarter acre lot. Dr. Howard is a wonderful example to Honors students of someone who was flexible, followed his passions, and crafted a fulfilling career for himself.