Meet Paul Stevens of PG Sound in Ormewood Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Stevens.

Paul, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was fortunate enough to have parents who were music lovers and financially able to enroll me in piano lessons at a young age in suburban Atlanta. I later joined the school band as a percussionist and started playing rock ‘n roll and funk in friends’ basements. Both of those experiences were incredibly formative- high school was where I first learned to truly communicate musically with other folks. I couldn’t see myself doing anything else, so I went to study percussion at the University of Georgia.

Played in bands and made a handful of recordings in Athens, including with Woodfangs, Androcles and the Lion, and Grand Vapids. After graduating with a music degree in 2012, I came back to Atlanta to work as a freelancer, which has been a wonderful experience. I accompany modern dance classes at Kennesaw State University as a drummer, a public school choir in Marietta as a pianist, and teach 15 students a week from the house where I live with my fiancée Jessica and our two cats in Ormewood Park. I also play in the percussion section of the Albany Symphony Orchestra in south GA, as well as chamber music projects and bands around Atlanta, including Smol Ensemble, the Atlanta Improvisers Orchestra, Tyler Higgins, Slow Parade and my duo Moloq- we just released an album, go check it out!

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Comparably speaking, I feel that my journey to becoming a successful (read: financially stable) artist has been a breeze. I recognize my white privilege. My younger brother Andy and I grew up comfortably middle-class, and our parents put away money for us to go to college. I received both a music scholarship and the Hope scholarship, and I’m happy to say that I’m debt-free with no criminal record.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the PG Sound story. Tell us more about the business.
I perform, accompany, compose, record, and teach music. Every day is different. My specialty is music for dance- I’m especially proud of a piece I premiered last fall with choreographer Sean Nguyen-Hilton entitled “Public Domain.” The work featured all sorts of interesting electronic textures, samples, beats, and musical quotes from works in the public domain. I like to think that my versatility as a musician is what sets me apart.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck, but I do believe in chance events. Chance events have played a role in my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.soundcloud.com/pgstevens, www.moloq.bandcamp.com
• Email: Pgstevens89@gmail.com
• Instagram: variety_stomp, moloqmusic

Image Credit:
Jessica Thompson

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