About

Joe Kurasz, a composer, arranger, keyboardist & music educator, includes work with many composers and industry professionals:
• Denny Diante (producer/engineer: Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, BB King…)
• Alan Menken (composer of Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast…)
• Dave Wilkes (Barry Manilow, Ringo Starr, Joan Baez…)
• Bill Aucoin (Manager of KISS, Billy Idol…)
• Bob Israel – Score Productions (Guiding Light, Family Feud, All My Children….)

…plus appearances ranging from film soundtracks to reality television & daytime soaps.

Joe composed music on THE BRAVEST, a show on CBS. Applauded by the viewing public as the first series to accurately portray real life firefighters in real-life situations. Joe also composed music for B SMITH WITH STYLE which aired on NBC and was a composer for THE GUIDING LIGHT.

Joe is also the recipient of a H.E.A.R.T. grant awarded to develop and conduct workshops for high school students on the topic “From Idea To Song”. Composed original song “Intergeneration” performed by New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestra at Lincoln Center and on NBC’s “4 Stories” Television Show.

Joe has also received credit for his contribution to Disney’s 4 CD box set “The Music Behind The Magic” featuring composer Alan Menken and lyricists Tim Rice and the late Howard Ashman. He was invited to perform original music from his showcase CD at the Maui Music Festival in Hawaii  and has earned national recognition from the nation’s top jazz critics for his music.

Wrote and produced over 300 radio/tv commercials throughout the nations top markets.

MASTER CLASS – Teaching music has been as much a part of Joe’s life as performing has been. Joe introduces composition and jazz improvisation early in his teaching methods in group classes and private piano instruction and enjoys watching his students develop their own creativity. Putting his Structure of Melody system to use, Joe placed an original song into a song-writing competition. His song “Just A Simple Song” was voted #1 Jazz Song in Billboard Magazine’s Songwriting Competition.