Educational Background
Howard. C. Harris, Jr., was born in 1940 at Charity Hospital in
New Orleans, grew up in a rural area near Baton Rouge and earned
a B.A. in 1963 from Southern University (SU).
At SU, Harris composed “March of the Non-violent” for symphonic band
and was praised by his professor for his insightful approach, noting
that he was a “profound thinker”. In 1968, he earned a
Master of Musical Arts at LSU where he expanded “March of the
Non-violent” to reflect segregation and retitled it
"Elegy for MLK."
After LSU, Harris dedicated six years to fulfilling the Doctor of
Musical Arts requirements as further studies relevant to his
professional goals. His mentors included jazz master Alvin Batiste
at SU; composer William Fisher in NYC; and Tilford Brooks, a scholar
of early Negro music at Washington University. At the University of
North Texas, Harris studied composition with William Latham and
pursued additional studies with members of the jazz faculty. Further
mentors included pianist Bobby Lyle, and private studies with
multi-terminal degreed Kenneth Klaus, LSU.
A National Endowment for the Arts grant enabled Harris to conduct a
survey of Hollywood studio methodologies, where he was mentored by
distinguished trumpeter Bobby Bryant and Oliver Nelson, the renowned
band leader and composer for the Six Million Dollar Man TV series.
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