Peg Luke: The Messenger Behind the Music

Emmy- and Grammy-nominated Peg Luke is a multifaceted creative artist who has graced concert halls all over the world with her flute, from multiple sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall in New York City to London's Cadogan Hall. She picked up the piano at five and the flute at seven, and she traces her path to a single moment in 1967, when a seven-year-old Peg felt what she describes as an angelic calling in the back of her parents' AMC wagon. She has been composing, singing and performing ever since, moving fluidly from classical training into religious composition, synth-based experimentation and larger projects.

Peg was diagnosed with a life-altering autoimmune disease that has kept her largely isolated from the public since the early days of the pandemic. It was during those same isolated years that she and her husband Jack began building the guided meditations they now record together from their music room in Northern Colorado. Even through hardship, she remains remarkably optimistic, and this year that resilience was recognized with her induction into the Recording Academy's Class of 2026.

Peg Luke sat down with us to talk about faith, grief, the mountain view outside her window and why she's never made music simply to keep up with an industry calendar. She's just the messenger. Here's what she had to say.

You've said you see yourself as ‘just the messenger’ rather than someone chasing the next release. When did you first recognize that your music was less a career choice and more a calling?

I felt some kind of angelic calling in my parents' AMC wagon back in 1967. I was 7 years old, and it was such a bold experience that I felt I was inspired to make music my life. I was very young, but that specific calling was unforgettable, and from there I actively pursued the flute, the piano, singing and composing, and never let this profession go. Early on, when I played in church, congregation members would come up to me afterwards in tears, being profoundly touched. That is when I knew something was different. It was like I was carrying God's message through my music! Hence the idea of being just a ‘messenger.’ It was never about the next release.

This re-release is clearly part of a bigger picture for you. Are there other songs from your catalog that you feel are calling for a second life the way ‘Dirt Under His Nails’ has?

Absolutely. I have a slew of singles that have been patiently ‘waiting in line’ to be heard, to be experienced again, or maybe be experienced for the first time. I will be bringing back a super special single, the iconic ‘Lord, I Want To Be A Christian’ that I recorded with my dear husband Jack. This is another Dean Miller production. I think Dean's work always has a cool vibe.

Is there unreleased or archived material, something written years ago, that you're now sensing God wants brought into the light?

I have a whole page of music that needs to be recorded, including a couple of flute dedication pieces that I have written for friends and family members that have passed. I have some cool Christmas and Holy Week arrangements and some brand new songs that I have written. There is also a J. S. Bach sonata flute project that is in the process of being reworked.

Tell us about the meditations you and your husband Jack create together from your music room in Northern Colorado. How did that practice begin, and whose idea was it first?

Well, it was my idea initially, but Jack has gone along with it wholeheartedly. We have accumulated a lot of music through the years, and we wanted to bring it to people with positive energy, instead of letting the music sit unused. I think our meditations really took off during the pandemic years. We have found a sweet little niche audience from all over the world. We love to do it, and while we can still physically do it, we will continue to bring it to our interested virtual community.

How is creating a meditation alongside your husband different from writing a song on your own? Does his presence change what comes out spiritually?

I don't really think these processes compare to each other. I have our meditation music in categorized notebooks, and I pull out music that works for that moment. Composing or editing music is a complete process that takes much longer, from the initial concept to the actual composing to placing the music into the computer. I think all these methods can be very spiritual in nature.

Living in Northern Colorado, is there a specific view or spot that never stops taking your breath away?

We live northwest of downtown Greeley, and one of the things that I cherish most is the complete vista of the northern range of the Rocky Mountains. The magnitude of the image takes your breath away. It never grows old or mundane. The sky here and how the sun interacts with the clouds is also unforgettable. We are about a mile above sea level, and the air is thin, so that also affects how the landscape looks and feels. It is magical living here. I never take it for granted.

Does the quiet and scale of that landscape ever find its way into your music, directly or indirectly?

I have never considered this, but I am sure it does!

Do you feel boxed by the ‘Christian artist’ label, or does it feel like home to you?

I don't feel like I have only been classified as a ‘Christian artist.’ I started my career in the classical music world, and I feel I will always keep that part of my life close to my heart and will never lose it. I am also expanding my music to become more synth-related. I can never stand still with genres. If I stand only in one category of music, I feel I will lose my creativity. I must continue to grow and experience all kinds of music. I have faith God will continue to guide me in my endeavors.

What's a moment recently where you felt really close to God?

I feel close to God continually. When I am experiencing pain, hardship or frustration brought on by my rare autoimmune disease, Mesenteric Panniculitis, is when I am truly brought to my knees, and I feel so unbelievably close and supported by God's loving arms.

What's something about your faith that makes you smile every time you think about it?

How unbelievably far God has brought me in my musical career. My musical career has blossomed into something much more beautiful and meaningful than I could have ever imagined. If you had told me as that little girl with a flute in my hands growing up that I would be where I am today, touching people all over the world with my music, I would have never believed you. I know this is only possible by the grace of God!

What's something you love doing that has nothing to do with music?

When I was younger, I loved to play tennis, but now you can find me reading, composing, and doing embroidery and beadwork. I am currently working on a very special beadwork project from Ukraine. It is gorgeous.

What's a simple daily habit that keeps you tethered to God, even on your busiest days?

I do my exercises in the morning, and I treat myself to a very special group of meditations after my stretching. It has become my favorite part of my day. This includes daily prayers for our world.

What's the most joyful song you've ever written, and what were you experiencing in your life when it came out of you?

I believe it was my Celtic-inspired ‘Almighty, Victorious,’ which I recorded virtually at the height of COVID. My stepdaughter, Ginny Luke, played the fiddle and Lucas Sader produced it. It is a spectacular single. The lyrics were inspired by one of my favorite hymns, ‘Immortal, Invisible.’ I hope your readers will check it out!

As you look at this moment — the re-release, the meditations, everything happening right now — what's one thing you're simply grateful for today?

Knowing that God has me and God has you. No matter what may be going on around us, and no matter how dire the circumstances, everything will be okay because God is in control. God is worthy. God is holy. God is to be praised. God loves you!