I have always sung. I had a big, silver medallion over my surplus in my prep school choir.
When I was 9 I started learning the violin. By the time I was 15 I was playing in the senior school orchestra.
Then I acquired a reasonable broken voice, which resulted in an Oxbridge choral scholarship attempt at 18 years of age but, before that, I had a disagreement with my violin teacher who did not want me to take up the guitar (apparently, different parts of the forebrain perform different types of motor function so my violin intonation has NOT been affected by any of my styles of guitar playing). I studied singing to grade 8 standard and violin and guitar to grade five standard at school.
At university (Aston) I studied classical guitar and choral singing as my second year Music third subject option.
Whilst still living in Birmingham in the early 1980’s I began composing my first songs.
In 1987 I returned to Brazil where I played and sang semi-professionally in various bands, company and university choirs. There, influenced by Professors Silvino, Leite, Lima, Matos, Costa, Viana, Schrader, Sousa and many other great lecturers, conductors and popular musicians, I continued to compose prolifically and wrote my first choral (SATB and SAB) arrangements.
I live in Brighton, England now and continue to create, develop and promote my musical activities and projects.
I am seeking new opportunities within the local music scene, especially in the pop/rock environment, but including small choral and harmony work. I am open to formal, mature, professional offers of musical work from established and progressive individuals, groups and record companies.
I believe it is very important to share knowledge, culture, art, philosophy and education but that all should have a fair and equal access to a just reward for the fruits of their labour. I know that well-expressed ideas can change the world and individuals for the better and this is why I intend never to stop creating music and art or writing until such a time as nature decides this is no longer viable. My other studies at university included French and Business Administration (combined honours course), Information Technology and Teaching of English as a Foreign Language, culminating in a British Council Teacher Training Course certificate on their graduate course in Fortaleza.
After leaving the British Council school I taught English, French and Music privately, and worked both as a technical translator (to and from English, French and Portuguese) and as a professional musician until my return to England in 2001.
I love meeting people with similar views and ideals, though I confess I do not have too many actual friends like this anywhere in the world. I am also a Reiki master and ex-martial arts teacher.
Et voilà!!!
Here's where you can find examples of my music, and even whole, free tracks:
http://www.facebook.com/paulrichardowen/
http://www.myspace.com/paulrichardowen/
