If Kuehler wasn’t a piano teacher, he would be a professional power washer.
Courtesy | Daniel Kuehler
In this Quick Hits, Artist and Teacher of Piano Daniel Kuehler discusses Top Gun, Legos, and concerts.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A garbage man. Who wouldn’t want to hang on the back of a garbage truck and swing around? Then I wanted to work for NASA but quickly gave it up when I realized I couldn’t just look at galaxies and nebulae all day through a telescope.
Who is your biggest musical inspiration?
There are so many, but I would have to say my piano professor from my doctorate, Natalya Antonova. Every lesson with her was a lesson in life. Born and raised in Russia, she concertized all over the world from a very young age and was friends with many of the great pianistic giants of the 20th century. Not only is her imagination the most active I’ve come across, but her amazing and hilarious stories have left an indelible mark on my brain.
If you were a pilot in “Top Gun,” what would your name be?
Keys.
What is the best and worst Christmas gift you have ever received?
The best gift was by far this Lego Technic red sports car (called Super Street Sensation, set 8448) which had a functioning V8 engine with moving pistons, a legit rack-and-pinion steering wheel, and the ability to turn it from a coupe into a convertible. As far as the worst, I remember receiving this woolen polar bear sweater as a kid. The polar bear was cool, but it was so scratchy that wearing the darn thing was torture.
If you were not a professor, what would you do professionally?
I would most likely be a music director for a parish with a side hustle power washing anything and everything. Before and after pictures are so satisfying.
If you could play any sport at Hillsdale for one game, which sport would you choose?
Basketball, because I need to redeem myself from 4th grade.
What is the best concert you have ever attended?
Berlin Philharmonic. Ann Arbor. 2024. I cried twice in the concert, and that never happens.
If you could describe your entire life in three words, what would they be?
Holy Spirit moments. It’s a trend that I look back on my life and realize the Holy Spirit at work every step of the way. In the moment, life events don’t make sense. In hindsight, it’s very clear to see the bigger plan God has had in store. I call those Holy Spirit moments because they are graces, unmerited gifts of clarity and perspective.
If you could play piano in any band, which one would you choose?
I’m not a band piano kind of guy, but it would be cool to do keyboard fills for John Mayer, Matchbox 20, or 311, because those musicians defined a particular chapter of my high school/college life.
If you could move Hillsdale College to any location in the world, where would you move it to?
Cinque Terra, Italy. Gorgeous coastal views.
If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Cacio e pepe pasta as made by a specific restaurant in St. Louis: Pastaria. The pasta is a little al dente, a little gummy, and the grainy, peppery cheese sauce is salty and way too delicious.
In your opinion, what is the prettiest sounding instrument?
Well, piano. But I’m biased.
