Paul Kneusel

Paul holds a Master’s Degree in Composing for Visual Media from New York University as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Composition from the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music in Washington, DC. As a composer Paul has worked on local projects as well as national and international films and has had his music recorded and performed by various ensembles. He is also active as a performer and accompanist along the Front Range playing both piano and cello. Paul is a dedicated teacher committed to helping students find their musical voice and identity. Expertly engaging students in repertoire and subjects that will ground them in necessary skills and techniques required for musical success while allowing them the freedom to explore their artistic visions. Paul has been active teaching students in Colorado for the last several years.

My teaching style focuses on engaging students in areas that they are interested in and passionate about while also ensuring they have a comprehensive understanding of essential skills and repertoire. I believe this is the starting point for a teacher: to find what the student is passionate about, meet them there, and use it as a point for growth and the introduction of new ideas and concepts.

Listen! Find your favorite artists, performers, etc, and listen closely to what they do. Do your best to figure it out, try to copy what they’re doing. Then, make it your own.

Classical — Maurice Ravel, Sergei Rachmaninoff

Jazz — Yoko Kanno, Vince Guaraldi

R&B — Aretha Franklin, Jon Batiste

Folk — Paul Simon, Stan Rogers

Film Music — Joe Hisaishi, James Horner

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” — Frederic Chopin

My mom signed me up for piano lessons and I got hooked! I got into composing a little later, and never looked back.