Paul Murphy Musical Art
T HE H IGHER POWER OF M USIC When his schedule permits, Paul treasures time spent
ome people are born with incredible gifts — we believe Paul Murphy is one of them. At the age of three or four, while his father gave piano lessons inside their Georgia home, little Paul sat quietly by, absorbing every note. “When they’d leave,” he says, interrupting his mellifluous voice with a soft chuckle, “I’m told I’d actually get up and play what they played.” Paul picked up the clarinet at 10 when his family made Moore County home. He began mastering virtually all things woodwind, brass, percussion and string — and how to brilliantly arrange them into compositions — ever since. After receiving his B.A. in music theory and composition from UNC-Chapel Hill and serving three years in the Army, Paul entered a piano and clarinet rhapsody he arranged into a South East Composer’s League contest. When the piece placed first, Paul was given the opportunity to return to school to pursue an advanced degree in music composition. In the midst of his graduate studies at Duke, however, something he never quite saw coming altered his plans. “I was in the middle of composing,” says Paul, an air of wonder in his voice, “when I was called into the ministry.” For Paul, there was no other answer for why he was “compelled to place ‘this’ note in ‘that’ place, at ‘this’ dynamic level and for ‘that’ length.” A higher power was at work. When he was accepted into Duke’s Divinity School shortly thereafter, Paul made the move from East campus to West campus, devoting his career to using his musical experiences as an instrument of faith. Paul is currently vice principal at Sandhills Renaissance School (STARS) in Vass and Pastor of Franklin Chapel AME Zion Church in Laurinburg.
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playing his clarinet or tenor sax with his dad at the Pinehurst Resort, namely for their conversations between sets. Ditto for creating and recording music with his singing bride, Sharon. Paul’s played piano alongside Tony Bennett, had casual conversation with George Winston and, while playing clarinet in the 82nd Airborne Division Band, opened for legendary performers Lou Rawls and Carl Anderson — indeed musical moments that a less humble man might boast about. This past March, during the inaugural Palustris Festival of Arts, he was able to perform on the stage of STARS with one of his favorite composers — his 10-year-old son, Greene. Together, the duo performed a Greene original, a talent Paul just recently learned that the youngster possessed after a phone call from his and Sharon’s three older children while Greene was visiting their in-home studio during the holidays. Kent, Drake and Anna have their own production company, “Dark Matter,” in Georgia and work primarily out of Atlanta. When their kid brother used their equipment to record his first composition, the trio was blown away and immediately phoned home. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Paul became vice principal of STARS two years ago. There, not only is Paul able to see the faces of Sharon (teacher) and Greene (student) daily, but he also gets to use his gift of music to help the children grasp concepts in the classroom, whether arithmetic or literature. “I have the most incredible experiences with Principal Sue Kemple,” Paul says of the Renaissance School, which infuses arts integration into the curriculum. “We discuss our visions of the school’s philosophy, and each day we have a wonderful look at the big picture.” PS
The 2010 Piney Awards Luncheon PineStraw Magazine will honor recipients of the 2010 Annual Piney Awards at a special Awards Luncheon to be held at the Mid Pines Hotel Ballroom at 12 noon on Wednesday, June 23. We hope you'll consider joining us to recognize the achievements of these special individuals and show your support for the growing arts life of the Sandhills. Your $25 (per person) includes an outstanding lunch with sparkling entertainment and a chance to meet our recipients. A portion of your tax-deductible fee directly benefits the Arts Council of Moore County. Seating limited. Please call Megan Shore for reservations at 693-2496.
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June 2010
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PineStraw : The Art & Soul of the Sandhills