Parker Kauffman
About
Parker Kauffman is a freelance horn player in the Phoenix area. He holds degrees in music performance from Arizona State University (BM) and The University of Texas at Austin (MM). During his time at ASU, Kauffman performed regularly with the university ensembles and the Monsoon Wind Quintet. He played principal horn at the 2016 National Music Festival. While at UT Austin, Kauffman performed with the UT Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble and was a founding member of the Mopac Brass Quintet. He has taught private lessons in studios and schools to students of all ages. Kauffman also composes and arranges music for horn.
Kauffman grew up in a musical family, starting on guitar before picking up the horn in elementary school. As a young student, he performed with the Phoenix Youth Symphony for two years under the direction of Keitaro Harada. His involvement in his high school band program earned him the John Philip Sousa Award, and he was the principal horn in the 2014 Arizona All State Orchestra. Kauffman began playing jazz guitar in high school, and still enjoys playing it as a secondary instrument.
Kauffman’s primary teachers include Patrick Hughes and John Ericson. He has performed in masterclasses for Gabe Kovach, Eli Epstein, Javier Bonet, and Kerry Turner. Some of his favorite composers and artists include Mahler, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Kerry Turner, The Bad Plus, Jacob Collier, and Chris Thile.
When he’s not playing or writing music, Kauffman enjoys cooking, biking, and spending time in nature.
Kauffman is available to teach horn, beginning guitar (acoustic or electric), music theory tutoring, and composition/arranging. Free fifteen-minute trial lessons are available for all areas.
As a private instructor, I strive to bring valuable, individualized insight into a student’s playing so that they can improve both as a horn player and as a musician. Student instrumentalists, particularly in public schools, are given very little personal attention, and as a private teacher I intend to fill this void, addressing the needs, goals, and concerns of individual students. I hope to share my knowledge and experience with students so that they can achieve and exceed their aspirations.
I believe that being a musician is an important part of personal expression, for all who wish to try. By developing and nurturing a student’s musical abilities, the student can come to a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. Furthermore, the abstract techniques and discipline required to pursue music in any capacity help to form a well-rounded and motivated person in the long run: an individual who is more capable of success in any field and better able to express themselves.
With this in mind, my job as a teacher is to inspire in students a lifelong love of music in order to create more successful and happier students, better adults and citizens, and to help the global musical community continue to thrive.