Testimonials
My daughter is 6 ½ years old. She has been taking piano lessons from Mr. Kunzat for 3 months now. After the first interview with him, we knew right away that he is THE ONE. He is a big man, with a very friendly smile and a GREAT sense of humor. He was explaining his music background, teaching philosophy and sharing pictures of his beautiful family. While talking to us he also interviewed Trinity. We could see right away that Trinity was very comfortable with him. To us, the teacher’s solid music background is very important. However, the strong bonding built on TRUST between the student and the teacher is also playing a very crucial part in the long term interest and success in learning. During this 3 months (1/2 hour/week), my daughter has learned so much and moved along so smoothly. I like his teaching method a lot. He doesn’t force the students to memorize the notes rather understanding them. He wants her to play the music and listen to what she plays. Then, eventual, the memorization will kick in. She will recognize the notes. My daughter enjoys playing music, she doesn’t stress herself out trying to remember the notes. Mr. Kurt believes that step will come naturally as she continues playing. At the beginning, I hesitated to choose Mr. Kurt. Frankly, his rate is a little higher than several other teachers around this area. My husband and I were thinking that at this point, anybody can teach our daughter the basic. When she is better, we can come to him later when she is advanced. Well, I am glad that I let her join him. One more important thing that I see and the I think my daughter also can feel it. Mr. Kurt really care and always teach her with love. He treats her with respect as working with a grown up and expect her to deliver. He builds the confidence in my child to believe that she can do it and making mistake is OK and that is how she can be great like he is. He makes music so easy that anybody can learn it if you have the passion and have the right guidance. Good luck.
--Phuong Le
If there was one thing that Kurt was able to teach me, it was to take it slow. To enjoy every aspect of the song, and bask in it. To seemingly transport one to another world; a world where one can escape reality and divulge into his/her inner-eye. To become united with the music. It is for these reasons why Kurt is one of the most inspirational teachers I have ever had the pleasure of working with.
I grew up as a musical child. One who always had melodies scampering throughout his head, but never had any way to channel it. I would compose my own rudimentary songs as far back as first grade; but I found myself unable to overcome an insurmountable "musical wall". This "melodic frustration" carried on to about eleventh grade; the time I was determined to learn how to play the piano. I had to originally self-teach myself in a very excruciating manner, and because so, the wall remained. I eventually decided to seek out a piano teacher, and was enthusiastically told by David, a Steinway Piano Representative, that Kurt was a phenomenal instructor. In the process of interviewing teachers, I decided to stop by Kurt's house.
Upon entering his front door, I knew that Kurt was going to be far superior than any other piano teacher I would ever be able to find. He, from the very beginning, showed great interest in guiding me in playing to the best of my potential. That, for me, was a deciding factor. I knew instantaneously that Kurt was exactly whom I was looking for.
The more lessons I had withKurt the more I learned about him. He is very versatile, as exemplified by his ability to adapt to my unorthodox musical ability, and create a completely unique lesson plan for me, designed to propel me into musical success as fast as possible. He is incredibly learned, as I have many times witnessed his profound grasp on the concept of music theory and piano playing as a whole. But most importantly, he is a man who radiates passion and enthusiasm, with an unmistakable desire to craft his students into truly magnificent musicians.
Kurt, ultimately, not only enhanced my piano playing ability, but provided a positive role-model for me as well. For these reasons, I wholeheartedly recommend Kurt as an exceptional piano teacher. He repeatedly proved to me to be the "crème-de-la-crème", and I am certain that he will incesantly do so for you as well.
With Warmest Regards,
Kurt offers a love for music that is so contagious! His ideas about what music is and the purposes for playing music were just what we needed to hear. To know that you can enjoy music for its own sake, and not have to be a professional musician was something new for my son. Kurtbuilt on what my son had already learned and gave him a reason to keep on playing. He connects with the kids on their level and keeps them excited about music. He has high standards, and really helps the kids learn about the music, not just how to play the notes.
My favorite thing about Kurt is his enthusiasm! He loves the kids, teaching them piano, and the music he plays; but most of all, he loves the Lord! It spills out into his relationships with the kids and seeps into every conversation. We have had a great time just getting to know him. He makes piano lessons fun!
-- Melanie Burchfiel
Kurt has worked wonders with both of us. In my daughter's case, he was patient, funny, consistent, reinforcing when needed and able to use the 5 minute attention spans to corral her energies and push her forward at her speed. From absolutely no experience with a piano, she was in a recital after two weeks and gave a polished and error-free presentation of her two pieces to the unfettered amazement of her parents. This is not a tribute to her abilities but to Kurt's ability to work with her and keep her interested so she would practice on her own, learning to sit and count and try to distinguish her ear from her eyes. The great fear that all parents have is that their child will be turned off by the discipline required to move ahead - Kurt is able to remove that fear and let the child have fun moving themselves ahead.
In my own case, "music-less" for more years than you need to know (ok, I last touched a piano for three months of lessons 40 years ago), Kurt has been able to show me that I can put notes together that actually become music, and that I can move up in complexity and competency against my own built-in perceptions and limitations. I am old enough to recognize that practice is part of the drill, but the practice itself is assigned with bite-sized pieces and achievements. While I am sure that, if desired, Kurt could assign an endless repetition of drills and scales and chords sufficient to choke Mozart, he worked with what he had and has made it enjoyable without invoking any of the memories and images of the dour and dreaded musical taskmasters we all keep in our heads.
In summary, I would say that Kurt is a thoroughly delightful and engaging teacher who is able to shape his lessons to the abilities and interests of his students. More cannot be asked of a maestro of any profession. I would be happy to furnish more specifics at any time.
Good luck with your choice.
-- Michael Keough
Our daughter began taking lessons with Kurt at the age of 9, after we were given a piano and she expressed a great curiosity in learning to play. She has been playing for just over a year now, and has made amazing progress, thanks to such a fantastic teacher. Kurt's education and career are impressive demonstrations of his astounding ability as a pianist. But, there is more to Kurt that makes him such a great teacher. Kurt has a wonderful, positive personality and relates very well with both children and adults. He is genuine and caring and has a terrific sense of humor. It is obvious that Kurt loves music, piano and teaching. Listening to him play is truly inspirational. He did a great job of showing our daughter how great even simple pieces of music could sound, which encouraged her to always strive for "the performance level." His demonstrations consistently encouraged her to learn new songs and then to perfect them. I thank Kurt for helping our daughter develop her curiosity in piano into a passion of hers. I recommend Kurt to anyone in search of a great teacher.
-- Howard Norton
To all aspiring pianists:
You can do no better than to entrust your piano playing ambitions with Mr. Kurt Kunzat, his professionalism and dedication are matchless. His combination of classic and modern piano instruction is extremely powerful and anyone lucky enough to experience it will see their piano skills and enjoyment grow at a remarkable pace. I know my families experience with Kurt has been all of this and more.
With much appreciation,
-- John LeFebvere
We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have found Kurt Kunzat to teach our 6 year old son how to play the piano. He has a unique style with his teaching skills, one that make his students want to excel. We cannot say enough about Kurt. My son talks about Kurt all the time. We have immense respect for him. Given the chance to take lessons from him is a golden opportunity. Once you meet Kurt you'll understand what we mean.
-- Jim, Nancy & TJ Catlow
Thanks for everything! I really do appreciate the time I had to learn from you. You have a wonderful talent at the piano and a great ability and gift to be able to share it with others. There may be great piano musicians like you but they are unable to transfer their knowledge/skill to others. Teaching what you know, being able to verbalize and demonstrate the 'how and why' of what you know and understand, and being able to communicate that sensibly to your students is a rare talent indeed. It also takes special talent to create and stimulate a love for music in people, and to get them to devote time to it when they have so many distractions, and with life tugging in so many directions.
With me in particular, an adult student, you were able to gauge my level of skill and match it with the appropriate training. I sincerely regret that our lessons had to end so soon. I hope to do some workshops with you when I am in Houston, so I can round off the rough edges of my playing, have my questions answered, and in general be motivated to continue to improve my piano skills. I'm hoping to do that with some Christmas carols/songs this holiday season.
I hope that your new students recognize how lucky they are to have a skilled and talented music teacher who knows how to meet them at their level. I have no reservations recommending you to anyone.
Regards,
-- Noel
I am 37 years old and have been taking piano lessons from Kurt for 4 months. For years I have wanted to take lessons but was afraid that I had missed my opportunity. I am amazed at how quickly I am learning. Kurt does a great job of inspiring you to learn. He has given me the right amount of structure to keep me progressing without suffocating me with just busy work. I recommend Kurt to anyone who truly loves music and wants to enrich their life.
-- Jared Stringer, MD
I put off piano lessons for my son for years before I stumbled upon a flier for Kurt Kunzat, Piano Teacher. Once my son and I had our initial meeting with Kurt, we knew instinctively that we had found the right person. Kurt's easygoing style has made lessons fun for my son. His extensive knowledge and years of experience only enhance his natural gifts as a great teacher. I have recommended Kurt to several people and would not hesitate to sing his praises as a truly gifted professional. Kind regards,
-- Michelle and Nicholas Hutton
Kurt Kunzat has been the most wonderful piano instructor for my girls. We feel like we've found a rare jewel in that his teaching ability far supersedes any other teacher we've ever had. He is a phenomenal artist, pianist and composer and he is truly gifted at teaching his students. My five year old has grown leaps and bounds in her reading of music and overall piano playing skills under his patient instruction. Also, my ten year old's style and attention to detail has flourished because of Kurt's desire for excellence in music. We feel so blessed that he is our teacher and his love for music and for teaching is evident in all that he does. Kurt is a breath of fresh air in the industry and I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for an incredibly passionate, detail oriented and loving teacher. Your children will excel to greater heights under his faithful and diligent instruction and he will instill in them a love for music like they've never had before. Kurt Kunzat is the creme de la creme of piano instructors!
-- Brittany Colberg
My two oldest daughters have been taking with Mr. Kunzat (Kurt) since August 2007 after his recent relocation to the Dallas area. My daughters had been taking piano for 5 years and we were looking for a piano teacher that would inspire, help them to understand the piano at a new level and continue to foster their love for music.
Honestly, when I met Kurt and interviewed with him, I thought, "Hmmm, not to sure how much they will accomplish in the lessons - he seemed to be all about fun!" You have to understand, I'm a pretty disciplined Mom and I wanted a little more structure for my children and I didn't have time to waste. But I also walked away knowing in my heart that he loved music and playing the piano - and so I thought - we'll give him a trial run.
Well, after just one month with Kurt I was so glad we had chosen to "try him out". Just in that short time, I could actually HEAR a difference in their playing - unbelievable!! Things that they had struggled with for years were areas that he had quickly identified and was already working with them to overcome! Well, he sold me!! Of course, the added side benefit for my children was his humor and wit - they love him!!
With having two daughters with varying needs and personalities enrolled with Kurt, I have been able to witness first hand the instruction that each receive is unique and geared to reaching them at the point of "their" need. Kurt immerses himself in his teaching and is always taking them to the next level of understanding and ability.
The other aspect that I appreciate greatly about Kurt is that he is fostering and encouraging the love for music. He is teaching them to reach deep within themselves to produce a "heart in their playing" - not just rote music, but something that inspires and moves them.
He has been an absolute joy for our family and I look forward to a long relationship. I would highly recommend Kurt Kunzat - I think you will find him to be the best thing that could happen in any piano education!
-- Suzanne Mulder
I simply wanted to say thank you for the time, care and attention that you have taken with my daughter. I was flabbergasted that after 20 minutes at a piano for the very first time, my daughter was playing. You obviously have such a talent as a teacher as well as a pianist. I can honestly say you are amazing at what you do. I love that you are able to correct bad habits and teach the basic foundations and that it is important to you. I know at times my daughter would struggle following some of the rules, but you had a way of motivating her and redirecting her. I would recommend you to anyone, whether they are beginner or advanced. Thank you again for sharing your gift with others. Please let me know if there is anything more that I can do to help you.
In awe of His mercy and grace,
-- Julie Hess
