Music teacher Luke Bowen has been interested in music since his own high school days, but it wasn’t until he arrived at Emerson School that he found a place where he says everyone has an opportunity to shine.
“The classroom is always filled with energy, laughter and music,” Luke says. “That’s down to the students themselves, who’ve created a supportive environment where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. I love the specialist school setting because I generally find the environment and the people very much focused in a holistic way on the students’ goals.”
Luke started at Emerson firstly in Middle School and has also worked in the specialist area of music, before landing at Senior School where he now teaches Senior School Performing Arts.
Luke is enjoying working with the Senior School students who have the benefit of having learnt music all through their schooling years and had time to work out their areas of interest or passion.
The students in his Performing Arts class have a real passion for music—whether it be guitar, drums, singing or keyboard—and he loves helping them work on their strengths and build on what they already know and love.
This year’s focus was the recent school production with a Scooby Doo theme. Last year’s production, The Road to Abbey Road, drew from Luke’s own passion for the music of The Beatles with a script written by Luke and presented through performance and music.
“The SSP students worked tirelessly both on and off stage to bring the show to life… their dedication, enthusiasm and collaboration made each performance something truly special,” he says.
Luke’s passion for The Beatles and their music stems from his own guitar teacher at high school, who became a guiding influence in his life and inspired both his love of music and his desire to become a music teacher.
After high school, Luke completed a psychology degree at Swinburne University, then started working at Bulleen Heights, a special needs school for students with autism.
A Diploma of Education at Monash University (Peninsula) soon followed, after which he began working at Dandenong West Primary School. This gave him a mainstream teaching perspective but also cemented the knowledge that he prefers teaching in the specialist school setting.
He has also been involved at various times in the after-school music program for past Emerson students, many of whom attend on Mondays after school hours to rehearse and jam. He says: “This is a cool program that allows former students to stay in touch and still be part of the Emerson community.”
Senior School Performing Arts graduate, Gwened, put it best in the 2025 Yearbook when she said: “My favourite memory of Emerson School is singing in SSP.” Her advice: “Start the day with a smile.”
[interviewed March 2026 / updated Sep 2026]
Photo credit: feature image in this article by Tristan Hope
