Today@Sam Article

Freshman Oboist Carries on Musical Legacy

Feb. 11, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Mikah Boyd

Artists are often cited as having creativity in their blood; for Charles “Luc” Butler, no statement could be truer. The freshman oboist comes from a long line of musicians, all of whom have supported him as he endeavors to follow their example and continue playing from the heart.

Luc grew up in Coldspring, Texas, under the watchful eye of his grandmother, Suzanne Hale Butler, who he affectionately refers to as “Nana.” She and her husband, Richard “Dadoo” Butler, both graduated from Central Michigan University with undergraduate degrees in music education before earning their master’s degrees in music performance together at the University of Iowa. Richard began teaching band at school districts across the nation and was the director behind national award-winning bands in five states before ending his career at Goodrich ISD in Texas.   

On top of being accomplished musicians, Suzanne and Richard were heavily involved in U.S. and international table tennis. The couple coordinated and coached their sons Scott and Jimmy leading up to their Olympic-level table tennis tournament in China. As the Butler family grew, the matriarch and patriarch instilled a passion for both table tennis and music in all of their children and grandchildren. When he was entering the fifth grade, Luc’s grandfather introduced him to table tennis and music, giving him a head start in developing the talents the rest of his family mastered later in life.

“Everyone in my family played an instrument, so of course I had to start early,” Luc said. “He handed me a trumpet and that wasn’t great, he gave me a saxophone and it was okay, then he passed me a clarinet and I sounded pretty good. At the time, I didn’t even know what an oboe was, so I had no interest in it.”

Shortly after seeing his grandson take to the clarinet, Luc’s grandfather passed away, and Suzanne stepped in to continue training their future oboe sensation. They began playing duets together, filling the house with the sounds of clarinet and French horn performing in harmony. In sixth grade, Luc became the youngest member of the Livingston Area Community Band, where he continued playing alongside Suzanne.

It was from these duets that Luc learned to sight-read sheet music, a skill often reserved for older, more experienced musicians. As he continued to practice clarinet and grow his skills, he learned that his mother had played the oboe in her youth. On top of her skills with the unique woodwind, Luc’s mother, who has a traumatic brain injury, was and continues to be a talented singer. From the moment he heard that his mother played the oboe, the middle school Luc decided it would be his favored instrument and pushed himself to excel.

“I took oboe lessons from the head band director at Shepherd High School and professional oboist, Daniel Coffey,” Luc said. “He told me not to start playing until we started lessons. I did not follow that rule. I started on my own and came into the first lesson already playing the whole essential elementary method book.”

From then on, Luc’s musical skills exploded. He began taking lessons from Patricia Card, professor of clarinet and, eventually, Kristin Sarvela, assistant professor of oboe and music theory. By taking lessons from two educators from Sam Houston State University, Luc was introduced to the university's prestigious music program. The professors coached Luc through the two most substantial performances of his high school career; his first-chair placement in the 3A All-State Band competition and his performance in the National Honors Performance Wind Ensemble, held in London, England during the summer of 2024.

“Playing principal clarinet in the 3A All-State Band when I was a junior was one of the biggest thrills of my life. That would never have happened without Card,” Luc said. “She showed me many tricks of her trade as she prepared me for All-State Chair placement during her Christmas vacation.”  

Due to his early exposure to the Bearkat spirit and Suzanne’s passion for higher education, pursuing a degree in music at SHSU seemed to be Luc’s destiny. The only thing standing in his way was the cost of attending college.

Knowing how expensive college can be, Suzanne sought help and found it in the Student Money Management Center’s former associate director, Patsy Collins.

“When I was in eighth grade, my Nana wanted to make sure that I would take the right steps through high school to ensure that I would have strong financial guidance into college. Collins was a huge help and gave my Nana a lot of advice on how to guide me through all of the financial parts of college,” Luc said. “She’s a savior, that’s what she does for a living.”

In the meantime, Luc was heavily involved in multiple community bands, and by the time he was in high school would drive for hours to practice at The Prevailing Winds in Tomball, the Montgomery Community Band and Livingston Area Community Band, which he played in with his Suzanne. His participation in these bands led to a connection that would change his life and lay his financial worries to rest.

Through a series of what those unfamiliar with rural Texas would call coincidences, Luc was recommended for the Dusky Ann McGraw Clark Memorial Music Scholarship, offered by SHSU alumni, Bill McGraw and his sister, Paula McGraw Franklin. Dusky graduated from SHSU in the 1950s with a degree in music education, played both clarinet and oboe in the orchestra and was a founding member of the Livingston Area Community Band. The McGraw siblings offer the scholarship in honor of their mother, whose music education degree enabled her to care for her children following her husband’s passing.

The President of Quality Home Products of Texas, Bill McGraw learned about Luc through another Livingston Band performer, Darnell Schreiber. Upon their recommendation, Luc was invited for an interview with McGraw, where he landed the scholarship of a lifetime.

“It really felt like a ‘stars are aligning’ kind of moment, we just had an immediate emotional connection,” Luc said. “I saw him, and I knew I liked this guy and wanted to make him proud. That’s why I’m working and practicing as hard as I can here;  because his ideas are something that I share, and I want to spread them.”

On top of four years of financial aid, McGraw further set up Luc for success by purchasing a Loree Royale AK 125 Anniversary Edition oboe, arguably the highest quality model of the instrument that was special ordered from France. With his new equipment and large support system of family members, fellow regional musicians and McGraw, Luc began pursuing a Bachelor of Music Education in the fall of 2024.

Since coming to SHSU, Luc has been pleasantly surprised to see how the campus has changed since his first visit back in the eighth grade. He has found friends inside and outside of his degree program and continues to participate in community bands, including The Healing Arts Orchestra located in Galveston, that he travels to perform with on weekends.

“I like the culture here. It’s like a small town, but bigger, which is great because many of the things you would be missing in a small town are abundant here because you’re in a community where there’s lots of resources,” he said. “I love to spread the word that this is a great place to go if you want to be a music student.”

As a music education major, Luc’s courses will take him beyond his comfort zone within the School of Music and hone his leadership abilities in preparation for directing a band full of middle schoolers. While there are those who would be put off by the idea of starting out their musical careers by wrangling an army of youngsters armed with instruments, Luc is no stranger to teaching music and is excited to take on the challenge.

In high school, an oboist from a neighboring school approached Luc and asked for help reaching the All-State level as Luc had in clarinet. Luc’s teaching proved itself when his protégé returned with a grin and a boast of his school earning its first-ever recognition as a first-division band with judges pointing out the oboe player’s outstanding talents.

“I felt better about what he had accomplished than I did about making All-State,” Luc said. “I suddenly knew that teaching musical empowerment to others and empowering myself with playing woodwind instruments was what I wanted to do with my life. If a person can achieve empowerment with music, it can be applied to any profession. I achieve it most every time I perform.”

While he has thought about his post-graduate future, Luc knows that his plans may change as he progresses through his degree. At the moment, he aims to complete the student-teaching portion of the program at a 6-A school in the state and start his teaching career at a similarly large school.

“With the bigger schools, there are less fortunate children that need extra attention, and I’m a huge fan of underdogs,” Luc said. “There are kids who are told that they can’t make something of themselves and are discouraged from trying, and it’s those kids that I want to give attention to. They just need somebody to help them get there and that’s part of the difference that I want to make.”   

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