Paul Race Music: Home Page
 Paul Race loves and plays most kinds of music, but he is especially fond of acoustic-based and traditional styles. If that makes you think of artists like Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Jim Croce, and Rich Mullins, you're on the right track. Since the 1960s, Paul has been performing original songs in just about any kind of performance situation you can imagine - coffeehouses, festivals, churches, schools, nightclubs, camps, street fairs - you name it. If you check out Paul's online resources, you'll notice that Paul spends a lot of time these days helping other musicians make good choices and find the resources they need, especially musicians who are interested in acoustic or traditional music. For example the CreekDontRise.com acoustic instrument pages provide a lot of background on various kinds and uses of acoustic instruments.
Our HarpersGuild.com page provides descriptions, history, and repair tips for autoharps, zithers, bowed psalteries, and related instruments.
Paul's RiverboatMusic.com buyers' guides attempt to sort out the hype from the facts about acoustic instrument purchases. But Paul also keeps his hand in by continuing to write new songs, learning (and writing about) new instruments, and performing when opportunities arise.
Thanks, and God bless, |
Groundhog Day, Iterative Cycles, and Musicians
Several years ago, I wrote an article about Groundhog Day for a Christmas site, including some observations on the Bill Murray movie of that name. A friend who publishes a Christmas newsletter recently reminded me of it, and I re-read it to see if it needed any updates. But since…
‘Nudder Christmas Song: “Dark was the Night”
As a Christian, I believe that celebrating Christmas is a valid way to express my faith. I’ve actually run into people who disagreed with that, even people who have attacked my family because of it. But that tends to encourage me to put up more lights, to write more articles…
‘Nudder Christmas Song
I wrote this song with a children’s chorus in mind, at a time I was helping with a stage production of Dickens’ Christmas Carol, and my sister Tess Hoffman was writing a children’s opera based on the story. So the themes are largely the themes of Christmas Carol – Christmas…
Banjos and Changes of Clothing
I just received an Oscar Schmidt 6-string banjo I don’t really need in trade for another banjo I no longer needed,but which a friend really wanted. So I thought I’d review it for Amazon. While there, I noticed the following lone negative review: ——————————— Oscar Schmidt did a HORRIBLE job…
Early Musical Christmas Card
Here’s an early musical Christmas card. It’s about trains and Christmas and nostalgia and winter and regret and stars and stuff. Enjoy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plgd9qEui-I
Ramblin’ Song: “Long and Open Highway”
A friend just asked if I had any “Rambling Songs.” I wrote most of this one about 1970, back when every Folk and Country singer had a song about rambling. Then I added the third verse and made a demo for a project about 2003. But when my friend asked…
Why Do String-Band Pickers Grin?
You’ve heard the cliche “pickin’ and grinnin’” since you were knee-high to a grasshopper. To non-musicians it’s more-or-less a hint that you’re in for a night of good old-timey music fun. But what does it really mean? And why do certain musicians, especially Bluegrass banjo pickers grin while they pick?…
New Old Song on Soundcloud
Just posted a new old song on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/paul-race-933212658/ “Heart of the Heartland” was written for my Folk-based play “If the Creek Don’t Rise.” I posted it on Soundcloud because I had submitted it for review to a Nashville songwriter with a number of hits and they preferred having the…
The “Gotchas” Of Writing About Living People
This is a blog in the traditional sense – reflecting on recent events. In this case, reflecting on an article I wrote for which I could have reached out to a number of living people for input, verification, or corrections. But I didn’t, or at least I haven’t yet, and…
What was the Folk Revival?
Most people who talk about “Folk music” today are really thinking of a mid-century movement in which people who did not grow up with Folk songs per se went out of their way to learn something about Folk songs and their heritage. And they also began singing the songs and…