Despite the volume of work Paul has done as a violinist in Hollywood, his primary instrument has always been the piano. He started his musical journey as a pianist with his grandmother's encouragement.  

 

"She owned a Conn Organ out on the farm, which all of the grandchildren would clumsily play.  She noticed that I was catching on and putting ideas together, so she recommended to my mother that I start lessons.  I did just that, and excelled.  I practiced without having to be asked and progressed quickly. After my first year in college I was learning to play difficult pieces like the Rachmaninoff 3rd Piano Concerto.  Not bad for a country kid who started on a Conn Organ."    

 

"Upon entering the Los Angeles freelance market after graduate school at USC, it became immediately apparent to me that there was a much higher demand for violinists, just purely based on the numbers. Most orchestras have 1 or 2 pianists, but need 24 to 32 violinists. The math works out better playing violin, especially in studio recordings, where only a handful of extremely talented pianists with strong improvisatory skills dominate the industry."

 

As a pianist, Paul still found opportunities in Los Angeles, and has had the good fortune to accompany artists such as classical guitarist Christopher Parkening and baritone Jubilant Sykes. He also served as a piano coach on the TV show "Boston Public," teaching the show's lead actors, Sharon Leal and Rashida Jones, to mime piano on camera.