At age 14, he began his professional performing career as a member of a jazz band in Allentown and joined the American Federation of Musicians.

[5] As he neared high school graduation, Buss was recruited as a trombonist by the nationally known group, the Tijuana Brats.

Shortly thereafter, he moved to East Lansing, Michigan, where he was awarded a Master of Music in trombone performance from Michigan State University in 1974 and studied with composer H. Owen Reed who inspired him to change his primary musical thrust from performance to composition.

In 1975, he received a Master of Music in composition from Michigan State University and he married Judy, a woodwind specialist.

They moved to the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area to attend the University of Illinois, where Howard received a Doctor of Musical Arts in composition in 1977.