- jazzgitman@gmail.com
- 972-285-1309
For 40 years, Kevin Curtis has helped students across the Terrell area grow as musicians, from the first lesson, through the years that build real skill, and into whatever comes next. From kids and adults, and beginners and advancing players, to homeschool students and empty nesters finally getting back to it. In-person in Terrell, or online from anywhere nearby.
Kevin Curtis picked up a guitar at 12 years old because his mother put one in his hands and introduced him to the jazz greats. That moment changed the direction of his life. It’s the same moment he tries to hand to every student who walks into his Terrell studio, no matter their age or where they’re starting from.
Fifty years of playing. Forty years of teaching. Thousands of students. Some were six-year-olds holding an instrument for the first time. Some were teenagers preparing for a college audition. Some were adults who set music down decades ago and finally picked it back up. Kevin has taught all of them, and he teaches each one the way they need to be taught. With patience for the beginner, precision for the student chasing the next level, and encouragement for the adult who’s a little nervous to start again.
Because here’s what Kevin learned early on: people don’t stick with lessons that feel like homework. They stick with lessons that feel like music. So whether you’re just starting out or working to refine years of technique, Kevin builds every lesson around real songs and real goals, not just generic drills that could belong to anyone.
He still performs smooth jazz, blues, and R&B for private events and venues around the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and that stage experience shows up in every lesson. He doesn’t just teach the notes. He teaches how to actually play in front of people, with feeling, without freezing up. That’s something you can only teach if you’ve lived it.
If you’ve tried lessons before and quit, it probably wasn’t you. It was the method. Most beginners are handed a workbook and told to wait for the fun part. Kevin flips that around and tailors that same philosophy whether you’re picking up an instrument for the first time or refining skills you’ve had for years.
His “learn-as-you-play” approach starts with real music, a song you want to play, a piece you’re working toward, a skill you’re trying to sharpen, and builds around it. Technique, rhythm, ear training, all of it happens inside music that means something to you, not just exercises that sound like nothing. Progress feels immediate because it is immediate.
✅ Learn real songs from week one, not months from now
✅ Build technique that sticks because it’s tied to music you love
✅ Sharpen skills for auditions, performances, or the next level, if that’s the goal
✅ Go at a pace built around you, whether you’re 8, 18, or 68
✅ Get honest, encouraging feedback from someone who’s taught hundreds of students
Based in Terrell and teaching students throughout the surrounding communities, Kevin offers both in-person lessons at his Terrell studio and live virtual lessons for families who want the same quality without the drive.
Wherever You’re Starting, Kevin Meets You There. He doesn’t teach one type of student. Over 40 years, he’s built a method flexible enough for every stage of a musical life.
Never touched an instrument before? That’s the best place to start. Kevin’s gentle, encouraging approach turns “I don’t know how” into “I can’t believe I’m playing this” faster than you’d expect.
Already playing but stuck in a rut, or ready to get serious? Kevin sharpens technique, deepens musicality, and pushes intermediate players toward the kind of skill that actually shows.
For students preparing for auditions, ensembles, or simply raising their playing to the next level, Kevin brings decades of real performance experience to help them walk in ready and confident.
Played growing up and haven’t touched it in years? You’re not behind — you’re picking up where you left off. Kevin specializes in helping adults rebuild skill and confidence without judgment.
Music instruction fits naturally into a homeschool schedule, and Kevin works with homeschool families throughout the Terrell area to make it a real part of a student’s education, not just an extracurricular. See more below.
Finally have the time to learn that instrument you always wanted to? Kevin has taught countless adults discovering music for the first time later in life, and it’s some of the most rewarding teaching he does.
Kevin works with homeschool families throughout Terrell and the surrounding area, offering flexible daytime lesson times that fit naturally into a homeschool schedule. For many families, music becomes more than an activity on the side, it’s a real, ongoing part of a student’s education, taught by someone with 40 years of teaching experience and a genuine love for watching kids grow.
Whether your student is just starting an instrument or building toward a real level of skill, Kevin’s song-first method keeps lessons engaging instead of feeling like one more workbook. And with both in-person lessons in Terrell and virtual options available, scheduling around co-op days, field trips, or family life is never a problem.
One teacher, decades of experience, seven instruments, and every age and skill level welcome. Whatever you want to learn, and wherever you’re starting from, Kevin can take you there.
Guitar. Bass. Drums. Piano. Ukulele. Banjo. Voice. Whether you’re picking up your very first instrument, working toward the next level, or coming back to one you set down years ago, Kevin teaches all seven, so your whole family, at every age and stage, can study with someone you already trust.
Kevin’s home studio in Terrell is where the “learn-as-you-play” method comes to life with real feedback, real connection, real progress you can hear in the room. Ideal for beginners, advancing players, and homeschool students alike.
Life in the Terrell area gets busy. Kevin’s virtual lessons deliver the same personal attention and song-first teaching, live, from wherever you are as a great fit for busy families, adults, and homeschool schedules.
There’s a difference between a teacher who’s played music and a teacher who’s lived it. Kevin has spent his life on stages across Dallas–Fort Worth, and he brings every bit of that real-world experience into every lesson, whether he’s teaching a six-year-old their first chord or helping an adult rediscover an instrument they haven’t touched in twenty years.
Kevin’s students come from every walk of life. Some started as complete beginners with no musical background at all. Some are homeschool students building music into their weekly routine. Some are teenagers working toward auditions and the next level of their playing. Some are empty nesters finally making time for something they’ve always wanted to learn.
Kevin Curtis Music is based in Terrell, TX, where Kevin teaches in-person lessons out of his home studio. Students of all ages, including homeschool families throughout the surrounding area also study with Kevin through group lessons, and private lessons, making quality music instruction accessible no matter where you’re coming from.
Kevin proudly teaches beginners, intermediate students, advancing players, adults, and homeschool students in and around:
Wherever you’re located, and whatever stage you’re at, if you’re ready to learn guitar, bass, drums, piano, ukulele, banjo, or voice from a teacher with 40 years of experience, Kevin is ready to teach you.
Request a demo or reach out directly to start planning. Kevin personally responds to every inquiry to ensure your event is handled with care.
Kevin will be working with Crystal Walker from Idea Fountain on a team building event. Kevin will also be teaching the Yankees (lol) how to play a bit of Texas Blues.
Private party for the Kentucky Derby playing instrumental smooth jazz for the cocktail and after party. Hope the horse of choice wins!
This is the first step to securing the live music that elevates your corporate gathering, without guesswork, without stress.
