Luke Sanders is in his third year as the applied guitar instructor at Wartburg College. In this position, Luke teaches classical and jazz guitar as well as lessons specifically catered towards students aiming for a career in music therapy. In addition to private instruction, Luke also teaches class guitar for first year music therapy students. Besides his work with Wartburg College, Luke is also the applied guitar and jazz bass instructor at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and serves on faculty at multiple jazz and guitar related music camps in Eastern Iowa.

Luke earned his Bachelor of Music in Instrumental Music Education from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa where he was fortunate to work with master educator and jazz musician, Dr. Steve Shanley. While living in the Cedar Rapids area, Luke was able to work alongside and perform with musical acts like Matt Wilson, Marques Carroll, Steve Kovalcheck, Icona Pop, Orchestra Iowa, and countless others. Following his time in Cedar Rapids, Luke accepted a position as Assistant Director of Bands at Waterloo West High School where he ran the jazz program, directed the 9th grade band, and taught brass, woodwind, and percussion lessons.

Luke is currently finishing his MM in Jazz Pedagogy at the University of Northern Iowa. At UNI, Luke has worked with world-renowned jazz musicians like Melissa Aldana, Dave Douglas, Jorge Roeder, and Ryan Keberle. Luke’s quintet, “Bad News,” recorded and released an album of all original music in 2021 entitled We Get that A Lot, which culminated in a performance at the acclaimed Iowa City Jazz Festival.

When Luke is not writing, recording, or teaching music, he enjoys spending time with his partner, Casey, and their chihuahua mix, Kiki. Additionally, Luke adamantly follows NBA basketball and Formula 1.