Kurt Frederic Kaiser

Kurt Frederic Kaiser was a classically trained American pianist, composer, arranger, and producer whose career bridged traditional church music and the emerging contemporary Christian music industry. He studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago and at Northwestern University, then joined Word, Inc., in Waco, Texas, in 1959. He eventually became vice president and director of music, arranging and producing recordings while also writing music for churches, youth choirs, recordings, and larger sacred projects.

Kaiser composed the tune PASS IT ON together with the text in 1969 for Tell It Like It Is, the Christian youth musical he developed with Ralph Carmichael. The music was therefore created for this specific song rather than borrowed from an older hymn tune. Hymnal sources identify the meter as irregular and commonly print the tune in D major. The folk-oriented musical language belonged to a wider movement that sought forms of church music accessible to younger congregations in the late 1960s.

Kaiser remained active as a pianist and arranger long after the youth-musical era. He recorded numerous instrumental albums, accompanied George Beverly Shea in concert and at evangelistic events, and received recognition from ASCAP, the Gospel Music Association, Baylor University, and other institutions. His original 1969 composition remains copyrighted.