Sounds and Songs

Paul writes just about any kind of music you can imagine, from folk to country to rock to bluegrass to blues, but he always features acoustic instruments and lyrics that are written from the heart.

To give you an idea of Paul's music, he is making some full-length songs and some clips available on this page:

• Sounds
• Songs
  • "Song of the Month"
  • Album Clips

Sounds

• In the fifth grade, Paul started playing saxophone.

• In high school, he started banjo, guitar, playing "folk" gatherings, and writing songs.

• At Wright State, he learned piano, flute, rock and roll, and bid eucre, and writing better songs.

• Paul began performing Contemporary Christian music in the seventies, before it was actually called Contemporary Christian music. He wrote and performed many new songs, a few of which have been recorded by other people you never heard of.

• When "real" coffeehouses started returning to the Midwest, Paul returned to his folk roots somewhat, and went back to singing mostly "acoustic" styles.
  

• Paul sings baritone. In concert he mostly plays guitar, though, if he is performing with other musicians, he trades off on other instruments to keep things interesting.

• Paul still writes songs, including folk-style songs, gospel-style songs, and an occasional Christmas song. If you have him out to sing, we guarantee you'll hear many thoughtful songs you've never heard before.

Songs

Paul writes just about any kind of music you can imagine, from folk to country to rock to bluegrass to blues, but he always features acoustic instruments and lyrics that are written from the heart.

To give you an idea of Paul's music, he is going to try having downloadable music right here:

• "Song of the Month"
• Album Clips

Song of the Month

This month's Song of the Month, is "Still Small Voice," the song that earned me A.S.C.A.P. membership because it was played on the radio after my friend Molly Magee performed it on one of her albums.

It's also the song that folks are most likely to request on return engagements. As a result it has been performed in music festivals, coffeehouses, churches, church camps, and many other circumstances. The fingerpicking guitar part is "pretty," but I think folks like the call to remember that God usually doesn't overwhelm us with His leading or presence - it's our responsibility to take time to listen to Him.

I used to love performing this with my violinist friend Wesley Mark Waldron, who can be heard a bit on this track, since he could fill in the great countermelody. Of course, when I sing it with my family, the girls can fill in the harmony parts on the chorus pretty good, too.

To download Still, Small, Voice, this month's Song of the Month, click here

Album Clips

The following clips are from a digital "album" we have released to some of the Internet mp3 music providers, as a way of keeping our music available for folks we don't see every day but still appreciate what we do. We'll add other clips as time (and space) permits. Please check back for details of availability.

• Fish in the Corn
• At the Heart of My Heart
• Battered Guitar
• American Folk Hymns
• Still, Small Voice

Irrelevant Backstory Alert!

One remarkable solo performance of this song took place at a church camp for an ultra-conservative denomination, many of whose members didn't like any music written after 1900. Often you can get away with folk-style music in such settings, as they get confused about whether Uncle Zeke used to sing that song or whatever. But on this occasion, I discovered a few seconds into the song that the guitar mic wasn't working - a dangerous thing on a song that is all fingerpicking (and I don't use fingerpicks). So I raised the guiter closer to my vocal mic and plucked the strings pretty hard. Well, two-thirds of the way through the song, I snapped the G string, something that is pretty hard to do when you're fingerpicking.

Of course, I just kept going as if nothing was wrong. But a woman in the audience asked my wife "Does he need that string?" The answer is, when you're standing with your guitar unmiked in front of 400 or so people in an open air auditorium, yes, you need all the strings. . . .

If you're a former "Christian road warrior," or if you just want to reminisce or share your own experiences, get in touch, and we'll "hang out," digitally, if nothing else.

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