Finding Home in the Divine: A Conversation with Peg Luke
In a candid and illuminating conversation, composer and instrumentalist Peg Luke opens up about her recent releases “Mi Casa” and “Halo,” revealing the profound spiritual dimensions that shape her creative process. With remarkable resilience, Luke shares how a rare autoimmune disease diagnosis transformed her musical path, leading her away from traditional live performances toward a deeper compositional calling. Her story unfolds as one of faith and reinvention, where physical limitations became a gateway to unexpected artistic liberation. Peg Luke‘s thoughtful reflections on the nature of “home,” divine intervention, and the healing power of music offer listeners a glimpse into the soul behind the melodies—a musician who sees her art not merely as a creative expression but as a spiritual ministry to a world in need of comfort and connection.
Nuevo Culture: “Mi Casa” speaks to the healing power of finding a sense of belonging. Do you believe that home is something we build within ourselves first before it can manifest in our external lives?
Peg Luke: This is a tricky question. Because all of us experience home in a different way. The definition of home is not always one of comfort for everyone, but to others, it may be the most comfortable place to be. I believe our soul is our home. I don’t think home really always deals with the physical. In these past few years, especially since Covid, I find God to be where my home dwells. I think we can have a home not only on the inside of us, where our soul resides, but we can also have it externally, where the physical home can come alive. It’s all interconnected, I believe. Some of us would have a lot to build off of internally before it evolves to the external. But for some, it may be too painful to look inside and to reside there, and so my music, especially the music that I’ve been composing in the last few years, addresses these complications. I don’t think there’s a definitive answer to your excellent question. But perhaps I’ve explained myself enough so you might know where I come from and where my music comes from.
NC: “Mi Casa” emerged from a Sync and Licensing contest, which later transformed into a deeply personal, heartfelt expression. How did the initial structure of the song evolve into something more organic, and what part of the process surprised you the most?
Peg: My songwriting process is essentially beginning from my soul, which evolves to a more concrete idea that transports to the mental aspect of my body. From there, I take those ideas and usually sit down at my piano. From there I can work just lyrics, and the idea or the point I want to communicate with my listener or the music takes center stage, and I start composing melody, baseline, rhythm, harmony, and eventually, the form of the piece starts taking shape. Sometimes I’ll write something and I am not in love with it. For instance, in my piece “Mi Casa,” I thought it would be a lovely vocal with Spanish accompaniment. In the process of writing it, I realized this was not where I wanted to take this piece. This was not the mood that I wanted to set. Then I thought perhaps my flute could play the vocal melody role and I could really reach a larger emotion with a unique spin on a traditional genre. When I redesigned the piece, it came together quickly, and I think beautifully.
NC: Do you think that music has a unique power to create a space where listeners can feel ‘at home’—even if they are physically far from their roots?
Peg: That’s the beauty of music, the mystery of music, the essence of music to transport you to a place you might recognize as your home or to an even greater place that you’ve never experienced before. That’s the story. That’s why music exists. To take you places, and if that’s home, so be it.
NC: “Mi Casa” originally started with vocals, but now we hear your captivating instrumentation and masterful flute performance. Can you take us through the evolution of this song—from its initial idea to the final version we hear now?
Peg: As I mentioned earlier, I had this idea for a voice to sing about home, and it was going to be not an easy ride coming back home. I wanted the song to reflect that the home that this person was going back to had some bad memories attached and that that person had grown up and realized that they got through these rough early experiences that they had at that home.
But somehow I couldn’t get the vocal to really emote those feelings. There is this compositional magic that happens sometimes with me, and I take a detour and say that the vocal was not working, but this other instrumental idea that I have may just be exactly what this piece is calling for. I think the instrumental (being my flute) could make this mysterious aura appear and could make people feel it. They could feel that perhaps not all was well in the past, but all is well now, and that there is beauty in pain. My flute on “Mi Casa” I think exhibits these raw emotions better than the human voice.
NC: “HALO” touches on divine intervention and the search for guidance. Can you share a moment in your life when you felt the presence of divine light or a sense of spiritual guidance that influenced your music?
Peg: Funny you should mention this; I feel divine intervention all the time because, without God in my life, there would be no music coming out of me. It’s too painful if I examine life physically. The divine light of God has been the main reason why I am still doing my music today. You see, a decade ago or so, my life was defined. I was a university teacher, a flute soloist, and a piano accompanist, and I composed for fun on the side. And then I got sick. I got really sick. I didn’t know what I had; the doctors didn’t know what I had, and it wasn’t until I got out here to Colorado that a fantastic ER doctor found that I had a very rare autoimmune disease called mesenteric panniculitis.
My life changed after that. I could no longer play live concerts. I could no longer do the things that I did for decades. I could no longer live my life the way that I used to. To a lot of people, that would be the death of them. But I have a huge faith, a big faith and God said, “You’re not done yet. I have a much bigger life for you that you never knew even existed.” And I started composing, and I started singing (which I love to do and I’ve always loved to do), and I kept playing my flute, but I did it all remotely and virtually. And boy, did God have a surprise for me. Not only do I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be, but this is what I’m supposed to be doing. It’s no mistake that I am supposed to be composing this music, I am supposed to be recording this music, and I am supposed to be presenting this music to you. It’s not me. It’s God. It’s His divine light and mercy that I can keep bringing this music to you today, through my pain, through my unique situation. It’s incredible. And I’m not done yet.
NC: You’ve described the ‘halo’ as not only divine protection but also as the lingering presence of loved ones and lost relationships. Do you believe that the energy of those we’ve lost, or relationships that have faded, can continue to guide or influence us in ways we may not always recognize?
Peg: Short answer. Absolutely.
NC: You’ve mentioned that in times of chaos, God places meaningful texts in front of you. How do these moments of spiritual clarity inform your creative process, particularly in writing songs like “HALO”?
Peg: To write down an answer to your meaningful question in words doesn’t quite do this concept justice. I am truly big on listening to spiritual mystics and guides these days, and I love doing daily meditation and reading the Bible. So many times my ideas will come from things that I’ve listened to or read. A “light bulb” will go off, and I will say this has to be put down into music. This thought needs to be conveyed to people through a medium different from talking. I can have chaos if I create it, but I can also have serenity if I listen to what God is telling me.
During my moments of deep pain with my disease, I become numb to almost everything around me because it becomes clear that life is precious, our time here on Earth is short, and what I leave behind is important. So, when I compose music now, I don’t compose just to compose. I don’t say I need to write music today. I say I have to write music today. I need to help people through my music. This is my legacy. I can’t explain what the actual inspiration is, but I know it lies deeper than words. It’s a part of me, my ministry to this sick and broken world. The world is still greater than this. The world is essentially divine. We are just taking a trip through it, and I hope my music can bring comfort to all who seek it. BTW, love wins.
NC: Ultimately, “HALO” is a musical prayer for light. When you created this song, what did you hope to offer your listeners—comfort, hope, or perhaps a sense of shared healing in these tumultuous times?
Peg: All of the above. All of the above.
NC: Many listeners find that your music has a meditative quality. Do you see yourself as not only a musician but also a guide or healer through the power of sound?
Peg: I never want to define myself because if I start placing words as descriptions of myself and what I do, then I start limiting myself. I always feel like I am not to my destination yet. I have these shirts in my closet that have sayings written down the back of them, and they say, “There is no finish line.” I always like to say that line out loud when I’m folding them after laundering them. This is exactly what I feel about my life. I am still evolving, I am still alive, and I am still hoping for even greater ideas and messages for all who listen to my art in the future. Tucked back in my brain is an idea of a possible book with my music in the background perhaps (such as an audible book idea) to help people, like in notebook form. That’s floating around. I also have ideas of composing more music that can actually be published and people can perform it as well. There is still a lot to do. With God’s guidance, I hope to bring many more years of Peg Luke and my creations to you. Stay tuned!
