Princeton Miles – Moores School of Music

Making music matter beyond the classroom

Music has been an integral part of Princeton Miles’ life for as long as he can remember. He plays the piano, the saxophone, and toys around with the guitar. But his primary instrument is his voice.

After graduating on December 20th, Miles' plan is to use his degree in Music Marketing to find a job that will allow him to balance his artistic creativity with a stable, business-oriented environment. And he plans to continue making his own music.

Not only does he use his voice to sing, but he also uses it to promote his fellow musicians on KUHA’s radio program, Music in the Making.

Music in the Making is a weekly, one-hour program that features artists from Houston's two music schools - the Moores School of Music and Rice University's Shepherd School of Music. Miles is one of the program’s on-air hosts, a job he “stumbled into,” he says.

“I saw a posting for an internship doing research at the radio station, so I applied for it,” he says. “After I got the job offer, I was told that I would actually be hosting a radio program. It has definitely been a learning experience.”

The internship at KUHA has also been a way for Miles to get his feet wet in a future career. He graduates this month with a Bachelor of Music degree with elective studies in Music Marketing.

As part of his role for Music in the Making, Miles finds artists to feature, writes scripts, and records the program that is broadcasted on Sunday evenings. He is one of three UH students who alternate hosting the show – a sophomore in CLASS and a graduate student earning a master’s in music.

“Over the course of the past year, since he’s been one of our interns, Princeton has grown tremendously as a classical announcer and producer,” said St.John Flynn, Program Director at KUHA. “He has honed his communication and presentation skills and become a strong and friendly radio presence.”

Miles says the learning curve has been steep.

“I had to learn the radio business very quickly, beginning with how to use the microphone, and how to write a script,” said Miles. “I interview the artists, and put all the elements together to create a 53-minute show. Most of the individuals we feature on the show are Moores School of Music professors or students whose expertise is in Jazz, Classical or Instrumental music.”

Although he appreciates all forms of music, Miles describes himself as more of a rhythm and blues singer and his favorite performers include Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston.

While completing his undergraduate education, Miles launched his first CD, Hear Me, this October. It includes original compositions, as well as covers, about his favorite topics: life and love.

“The entire project took about nine months to complete,” said Miles. “On October 4, I had a release party where I sang a few of my songs and I immediately sold about 100 copies of my CD.”

Miles had been singing for his entire life, beginning as a child singing at church, and eventually graduating from the High School for Performing and Visual Arts in Houston in 2008.

“I knew some people from high school who were students at UH, and I spoke to them about their experience,” said Miles. “I also had the opportunity to visit the campus and meet some of the professors in the music program. That is what ultimately brought me here.”

However, the transition from high school to college did not come easy for Miles. He struggled initially, even failing a class. Discouraged, he considered changing his major entirely.

However, the Academic Advisors at Moores helped him figure out how to successfully get through his first few college semesters.

“My advisor, Carrie Young, wouldn’t let me give up,” he recalled. “She told me that what I do next is important… to apply myself.”

So he changed his major – from Music Performance to the Music Marketing – but he did not drop out of the Moores School or give up on his dream to be a performer. His grades improved, and , eventually, he made the Dean’s List.

Miles also got involved with campus activities. He joined the Blaffer Student Association and co-founded the “Men of Moores,” an a cappella group.

“Music is my passion…it’s a huge part of me,” he said.

- By Monica Byars