Piano, Drum
Luke Franc has been a pianist since 2011, a drummer since 2009, and knew before he entered high school that he wanted to pursue a career in music. After attending the Skidmore Jazz Institute, a Berklee Five Week summer camp, and the New England Conservatory Prep School, he went on to study Studio Music and Jazz at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. He earned a Presidential Scholarship upon admission, in recognition of both his musical and academic achievements.
Because Luke has always been interested in the anthropological underpinnings of practicing music, in addition to performing, he remained at Frost after graduation to pursue a Master's Degree in Musicology. To support his graduate study, Luke was granted a full tuition scholarship and Teaching Assistant fellowship by the University of Miami. Yet, he did not retreat into the ivory tower, maintaining his presence as a performer and educator around Miami, all while writing an original research thesis entitled, "Club Space: Play, Embodiment, and the Cultural Politics of Electronic Dance Music in Miami.
Beyond his academic experience, Luke has worked as a guest artist and theater orchestra musician for Royal Caribbean International and Seabourn Cruises. Since high school, Luke has maintained freelance engagement with the local music scenes of every city he's lived in. Stylistically, he has performed everything from jazz, to pop, to salsa, to classical and much more.
Before relocating to Philadelphia, Luke administered and performed weekly piano duo sets at a restaurant in Midtown Manhattan, and on a local ferry between Manhattan and Liberty Island.
Luke's abilities as a multi-instrumentalist strongly inform his teaching on any single instrument. He is able to pay special attention to all of the technical elements of music from rhythm, to harmony, to melody. But, his principal concern as a teacher is to learn what kind of music his students like, and what their goals are.
Learning music is a journey that never ends, and it's supposed to be a fun one. Luke's wish for his students, above all else, is that they learn to engage in a more deep and meaningful way with the sounds of this world that bring them joy and comfort.