Our Teachers

Toby Couture

Toby Couture was born in northern NY, close to the border of Quebec, to a music family. His father was a folk musician and his mother played classical music. He was interested in both music and foreign language from an early age and pursued many opportunities to study both in school, and through independent study. Toby attended the Conservatory of Music SUNY Purchase College, studying Jazz Piano, Classical Guitar, Percussion and French Language, graduating CUM LAUDE. After traveling Europe to practice French and German, Toby worked for years as a freelance musician, bandleader and composer, and also released the album "As You See" with German Guitarist Daniel Friederich. Since moving to Maui over ten years ago, he has worked with many local musicians on Maui including Willie Nelson, Marty Dread, Guerilla Jazz, and his own projects. He has composed several suites of Neo-Classical music for local dance company Adaptations Dance Theater, as well as producing and recording work other local artists. The goal of Toby's "Couture Music School" was to give students the best music education possible drawing from his vast and varied background, to provide the next generation of Maui musicians the opportunity to meet the international standards of musicianship, raise the level of musical literacy and diversity on Maui, and most of all, allow students to be creative and express themselves and have fun with music.