First post, this fall
Where a melody actually starts
Most beginning composers wait for inspiration. There is a more reliable way to begin.
Always free · Online · Grades 1 to 8
Turn your musical ideas into finished pieces.
PieceFoundry helps young students take their first steps into music composition. In one on one online sessions, students learn how music is built, then write something of their own. Every lesson is free.
Book a free lesson Meet your instructorMission
PieceFoundry exists to make music composition accessible to every young student, whatever their background or resources. Good composition instruction is usually expensive and hard to find, especially for children still in elementary and middle school. Removing that barrier is the whole point of this platform.
Every young person has melodies worth sharing. Learning to write them down builds creativity, patience, and a voice that lasts well beyond the lesson.
My Vision
I started composing as a young student myself, and I remember how it felt to hear an idea of mine played out loud for the first time. My vision for PieceFoundry is a place where beginning composers are encouraged to experiment, get things wrong, and keep going, guided by someone who walked the same path recently enough to remember it.
Over time I hope to grow PieceFoundry into a network of young mentors helping the next generation of composers find their own voices.
About Me
Gunes Sunar, founder of PieceFoundry
Hi, I'm Gunes Sunar, a composer, pianist, and the founder of PieceFoundry. I began playing piano at age 5 and wrote my first composition in first grade. For many years I focused mainly on creating original works for solo piano, developing my own ideas through composition and performance.
More recently I expanded my writing beyond solo piano through advanced composition programs at the Penn State Young Composers Institute and the Indiana University Jacobs Composition Academy Summer Intensive. These experiences introduced me to writing for duos and chamber ensembles, and gave me the chance to develop works that were recorded or performed by professional musicians.
I created PieceFoundry to share what I have learned with younger musicians. Through lessons, educational materials, and composition resources, my goal is to help students explore their creativity, understand how music is built, and develop their own musical voices.
Music
Selected recordings and performances of original compositions.
Featured performance
Studio recording, arriving this fall
Back and Forth · Piano and clarinet duo · Studio recording, Penn State Young Composers Institute, 2026
Selected works
- We Just Don't Get It · Trio for piano, violin, and cello. Performed by Indiana University musicians, 2026.
- Back and Forth · Piano and clarinet duo. First Place with Honor, International Youth Music Competitions, 2026.
- Unzufrieden · Piano solo. Performed at the SigmaNext Camp chamber concert, 2025 and 2026.
- Whispers in the Mirror, Fameless, Meine Stimmung, Trust Yourself · Piano solo.
Resources
Original instructional materials written for young composers, free to download and use at home or in a classroom. The first set arrives this fall.
Starter worksheets
Short exercises on rhythm, melody, and phrase shape, sized for one sitting.
In developmentNotation guides
How to write your ideas down clearly, by hand or with free notation software.
In developmentListening prompts
Pieces worth studying, with a question to listen for in each one.
In developmentBlog
A composition post every other week: one idea, explained simply, with something to try yourself. The series starts this fall, and these are the first three.
Coming this fall
Writing for an instrument you do not play
What I learned writing a clarinet part as a pianist.
Coming this fall
Finishing the piece
Why the last 10% is the hardest part, and how to get through it.
Book a Lesson
Always free
Every session is completely free. There is no cost and no catch.
30 minutes on Zoom
A focused 30 minute private lesson, one student at a time, over Zoom.
4 to 6 sessions a month
Book up to 4 to 6 sessions each month so progress stays steady.
Request a session
Fill in the form below and Gunes will reply by email to confirm a time.
Booking form
The online booking form is being set up. In the meantime, email Gunes with the student's name, grade, your country and time zone, and a few times that would work.
Email a requestAvailability
Days marked with a dot are days Gunes is available. Click a day to see the exact times.
If the calendar looks empty, email piecefoundry@gmail.com and Gunes will find a time that works.
Contact
Questions about PieceFoundry or about lessons? Parents and students are both welcome to write.
Email piecefoundry@gmail.com