Gary Gratz

Contemporary Keyboard and Piano Faculty

Gary taught at McNally Smith College of Music for 25 years acting as the Department Head of Music Studies and Keyboard. He completed his BA in Music at Augsburg College (2006) and has an MM in Music Education from Boston University (2009). He has performed with Latin Jazz Combo, Orchestra Sabrason, Mongo Santamaria with Bomba, The Sevilles, The Sensational Sleepers, The Blue Water Kings, Synergy, Brian Kinney and the Flames, Jason Wiseman and Dap Squad, The Teddy Bear Band, Ernie Watts, Tim Ries, KCGO Big Band, Twin Cities Trumpet Ensemble Jazz Group, Randy Sabian, Pete Whitman, Bruce Henry, Yolanda Bruce, Judi Vinar, Rick McKinley’s Jazz Clique, Joe Flip, as a solo singer and with his own band , Gary and The Groovers. He plays keyboard and guitar and is the Praise Band Coordinator at Messiah Lutheran in South Minneapolis every Sunday. Gary composed music and designed sounds for numerous national TV ads including spots for Coca-Cola, Discover Card, Target, and Porsche. He played synthesizer in the pit orchestra for “High School Musical 3”(2016), “Mama Mia” at the Ordway (2018), “Poe- A Rock Musical” at the Ames Theater (2024) and also performed on the soundtrack for the movie "Beautiful Girls" and coached the lead actor, Timothy Hutton, in piano technique. Most recently he played piano and various keyboards on David Martin’s Digital Album “Re-lit”.