FEATURED ALUMNI OF THE MONTH

Alvin Hough, Jr.

Hometown – Washington, DC
Undergrad – Harvard College, BA, 2006 Earth and Planetary Sciences,
Graduate School – Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008, MS Meteorology
Employer – Music Director/Conductor for New York, New York at the St. James Theatre on Broadway

Greatest Impact

As one of the founding members of MUSE (https://museonline.org/), I firmly believe it’s imperative to be a visible inspiration for the generation behind me. I never envisioned theatre as a career possibility until someone else believed I could do it and put me in a position to learn from other black musicians who were already doing it. Now, while continuing to learn, I must share my knowledge with others so that the future of black musicians in leadership positions on musical theatre productions nationwide continues to expand and grow stronger.

Bio

Alvin is currently the conductor and music director of New York, New York, which is playing at the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Other Broadway credits include Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Motown, the recent revivals of Merrily We Roll Along (featuring Daniel Radcliffe), Once On This Island, The Color Purple, as well as The Piano Lesson (featuring Samuel L. Jackson), where he provided both music direction and original incidental music. Alvin has also worked on numerous films and TV series, from “Schmigadoon 2” and “Spirited” to “Annie Live!” and the South Park 25th anniversary commercials.

Alvin started playing piano when he was 5 years old. Classically trained, Alvin has performed at the Kennedy Center, at the Capitol for Mother Teresa’s Congressional Medal of Honor Ceremony and at the White House for the Clintons while growing up in Washington, DC. Also, via the DC Boys’ Choir, he has both played and sung in Austrian opera houses and Parisian cathedrals. But when he turned 13, his piano teacher, a retired black woman from the DC public school system, humbly realized her limitations and introduced him to colleagues who could expand his musical horizons. She strong-armed his church into letting him play during Sunday morning services, thereby allowing him to be influenced by gospel music. She also opened Alvin’s eyes to the world of musical theatre as he was introduced to The Who’s Tommy in a summer theatre camp.

Believe it or not, Alvin’s musical training does not extend to conservatory. One of the more important things he likes to pass on is that there is no special formula to end up on Broadway. As proof, even though he’s currently not using them, Alvin has a Bachelor’s from Harvard College in Earth and Planetary Sciences and a Master’s in Meteorology from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His passion for music pulled him away from Atlanta and up to New York, where he has now lived since 2009. He sends love to his wife Rebecca and their two young children, Samuel and Camille.