​Ally Kurihara is from Lancaster, Wisconsin. She began taking piano lessons when she was 8 years old, and continued through high school. She also plays the saxophone, which she began playing when she was 12 years old, and continued to study seriously through college. Ally studied at Lawrence University where she earned her degree in music education. During her time at Lawrence, she discovered she enjoys both teaching and traveling. Ally has taught music in (the U.S.) Jamaica, Haiti, and New Zealand. Outside of teaching, Ally has her own business in piano technology. She repairs, tunes, and cares for pianos.  Ally has been enjoying fostering her love of music by teaching at Academy of Sound. She joined the Academy of Sound faculty in 2019.