About Ann Marie

I am a composer whose music grows out of lived experience—moments in nature, family, places I have loved, and the quiet emotions that shape our lives.

Whether writing for solo piano, voices, or instrumental ensembles, my goal is to create music that is emotionally accessible and invites thoughtful listening. My music offers space to pause, reflect, and simply experience what the music has to say.

Many of my compositions begin with a real moment: watching spring emerge after winter, gliding across a quiet lake, welcoming a refreshing rain, witnessing a solar eclipse, or rocking a new grandchild to sleep. Those experiences become musical stories that listeners often find calming, hopeful, and deeply personal.

If you enjoy music that speaks to the inner life and creates room for reflection, I invite you to explore my recordings, scores, and writings. My hope is that these pieces become companions for quiet moments and meaningful listening.

Many of these musical stories are shared on my Bandcamp page, where you can read the inspiration behind each piece while listening to the music.

Over a lifetime of composing, I have written more than 500 original works for piano, voices, chamber ensembles, and community celebrations. My music has been commissioned, published, performed, and recorded, while remaining rooted in a desire to connect with listeners through melody, emotion, and story.

I hold degrees in Psychology, Music Education, and Music Composition. After teaching instrumental music in Detroit, I founded “My Heartsong Music,” creating original compositions for concerts, students, and meaningful life occasions.

Music has always played a defining role in my life, beginning as a very young child with an old Victrola and wax cylinders. I discovered early on that I had an unusual ability to learn and play many different instruments.

I have been a member of ASCAP for many years, with more than 175 registered compositions.

For listeners wanting a broad introduction to my music, I recently assembled “The BEST of Ann Marie Kurrasch”—a four-volume collection of 98 original works spanning many years of composition.

I have also published “Let's Play! Twelve Piano Solos for All Occasions,” a collection for developing pianists available in print and digital editions.

I released my own memoir: “Travels with the Minister...The Pastor's Wife Finds Her Voice.” This is a unique music memoir as it includes 17 QR codes along the way so you can hear the songs.

I live with my husband, Richard, and our little dog, Corey, on the Central Coast of California. We can often be found walking the beach or kayaking on our local lake. The natural world continually gives me images, sounds, and moments that later find their way into my music. Love for my family, especially these two grandsons, is central to my life and work.