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Sunday, August 28, 2016

LAWRENCE

L awrence J ournal -W orld

Musician CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1A

“Whenever I would come to the academy, he was practicing,” she said. “He taught three instruments: piano, guitar and bass. He practiced them all the time. If you have the discipline and love of music to practice that much, you’re going to be a special teacher.” The compulsion to practice doesn’t seem odd to Paull, who has immersed himself in music since he started taking piano lessons at the insistence of his nonmusical parents, who hoped it would channel his hyperactivity. It turned out to be a winning strategy for the 12-year-old Fort Collins, Colo., boy. “Within a few weeks, I felt comfortable with it,” he said. “Within a few weeks, I knew what I wanted to do. I learned to read music. It just made sense to me. I wanted to compose for a symphony orchestra. My instructor started calling colleagues to hear what I had done that week. It was hilarious to me. I felt like a science specimen, and they would carve me up any moment.” Filled with the dream of composing for symphony orchestras, the young Paull had little time for pop music. His tastes have since widened. “I like everything from Delta blues to (Igor) Stravinsky to everything else,” he said. “My three favorite musicians are Beethoven, Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa.” Paull, who also plays and has taught the cello and dulcimer, brought his talent to Lawrence in 2001, lonesome for friends who had relocated here and eager to explore the city’s vibrant music scene. He arrived one year after the founding of the Americana

Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo

LAWRENCE MUSICIAN AND MUSIC INSTRUCTOR MICHAEL PAULL is pictured on Wednesday at the Americana Music Academy, 1419 Massachusetts St. Paull will be performing at the Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championships today at South Park.

“

I like everything from Delta blues to (Igor) Stravinsky to everything else.” — Michael Paull, musician

Music Academy, the state’s only nonprofit music school, but his destiny was soon to merge with that musical community. “The founder, Thom Alexander, saw me performing solo,” Paull said. “He pointed at me between songs and said, ‘I must talk to you later.’ I thought I was in trouble.” He soon learned that he misread Alexander’s intentions. “He offered me as job as an instructor,” Paull said. “It wasn’t a hard sell. It’s a great day job, probably the best I’ve ever had.” The academy has been Paull’s musical home base ever since. He even

served for a time as its assistant director, before stepping down to concentrate on his musical duties at the academy when he realized “pencil pushing wasn’t for me.” Administration might not have been in Paull’s wheelhouse, but past and present associates at the academy say his versatility is a strength he generously shares with the Lawrence musical community. “He’s so talented in a variety of different ways,” said Diane Black, Americana Music Academy executive director. “He has the ability to play and teach so many instruments, and he has

excellent composition skills.” Paull realized his teenage ambition when the Topeka Symphony Orchestra performed his original composition. “Michael wrote all the parts to go along with a bluegrass band,” Gillenwater said. “All the instruments — that’s not your ordinary musician there. He has so much talent and is so generous. He’s the goto musicians’ musician.” Gayle Sigurdson, coordinator of this weekend’s Kansas State Fiddling and Picking Championships at South Park, said her husband, Steve Mason, turned to Paull for help with an arrangement of one of his songs. “Steve wrote a Christmas song that was so pretty everyone said he should make it a choir piece,” she said. “Michael was able to

take that song and write it for a four-part choir piece. It was performed at our church for Christmas. Michael has such a sincere enthusiasm for music and the willingness to work with people with the ability to write lyrics and turn that into music.” Composing remains his true love, Paull said. Although he does not play horns or woodwinds, he feels comfortable composing for them, aware that musicians will let him know if he is asking too much. “A player told me one thing I wrote wouldn’t work for a piece performed by the Boston Conservatory,” he said. “It was very helpful. A piano player doesn’t have to take a breath. You can write a piano piece a mile long.” Paull will perform at today’s Kansas State Fiddling and Picking

Championships as part of the trio (Joe) Pickett, Paull and (Jim) Jeans. He has lent his versatility to the annual event as a judge, workshop presenter, performer and contestant, twice winning the vocal ensemble competition with Terri Laddusaw as Sissy and Earl. His participation is part of a “natural merger” of the music academy with what Paull calls the “Fid Pick.” “It happened pretty much on its own,” he said. “We (the academy) don’t run it, but we help out every way we can.” The championships are part of the Lawrence music scene that Paull said he still finds inspiring 15 years after his arrival in the community. ”I was amazed when I first moved here and am still amazed at the amount of world-class talent in this town playing music. It’s a very rich scene.” Those who haven’t heard Paull at one of his solo and joint gigs at the Replay Lounge, Jazzhaus, Bottleneck, Ingredient or other Lawrence venue can pick up his CD of original work “Mercy Me” at the Love Garden. One of his personal goals is to do more recordings because it’s the best way to showcase his songwriting and composing abilities to a wider audience, he said. As for the future, it’s possible he’ll leave Lawrence someday for the greater opportunities of the East or West Coast, Paull said. His immediate plans are focused squarely on his musical home. “I want to continue to grow musically and help the Americana Music Academy be a force in the area,” he said. “This place has done so much for me. I’m not done paying it back.” — County reporter Elvyn Jones can be reached at 832-7166. Follow him on Twitter: @ElvynJ

With Editor Chad Lawhorn

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With the New Generation Society of Lawrence! 10 a.m. • Wednesday, September 7, 2016 Stop by the Lawrence Arts Center to discuss current & relevant issues in Lawrence with Journal-World Editor Chad Lawhorn.