Paul Templon

Since before Paul Templon even began school he wanted to sing and be on stage. He started singing and dancing in historical dramas in his hometown, Shenandoah, Va. Soon he was asked to join several large choruses in Page Co. Next were solo performances for churches, and then lead singer and or keyboardist for several rock, jazz and folk groups. In his freshman year of high school he was invited to perform on Television. Later that same evening the President of Shenandoah Conservatory of Music called his parents and offered him a scholarship to attend the Conservatory. He received a Bachelor of Music in Performance with majors in Voice and Piano and minors in Flute and Conducting from the Conservatory. While attending Shenandoah, he studied Voice with Andre Aerne and Piano with Henry Black. During his time at the University of West Virginia where he studied with David Lloyd, he was offered the chance to become an apprentice artist with The Lake George Opera Company. Paul worked for the Lake George Opera Company as Singer, Coach, and Assistant Director for 5 years. He finished his Master of Arts degree from Marshall University where he studied with Jane Hobson and Paul Balshaw. After teaching and performing for a number of years, he began studies towards a Doctorate in Education and Philosophy at Dayton University.During and upon completion of his education, Paul performed Jazz, Folk, Sacred, Music Theatre, recitals and Opera. While with The Lake George Opera Company, he performed in a number of world premieres, The Taming of The Shrew, Mt. Olympus, Elephant Steps, and Young Goodman Brown. Late in the evening after the opera performances, he would perform with a band at a club, The Antler Lounge. Other Opera companies where he has been singer, coach and choral conductor are Dayton Opera, Michigan Opera, West Virginia Opera Co., and Asheville Lyric Opera. Some of the musicals he has had the lead in are, Carousel, The Fantastics, and Fiddler to name a few. The list of musicals he directed from the pit, even from the piano, is quite long. He has always been as comfortable singing, or playing, or directing because of the music, the people and simply the joy of performance. Even with the performing, directing, coaching and playing, he always had his own private studio where he taught piano, voice, theory and flute.

Paul has taught for a number of Universities and Colleges across the United States. For the last ten years he has been teaching in the music dept. for UNCA. He is Choirmaster and Organist for St. John’s Episcopal Church. During his time in Asheville, he has been soloist for several choral groups and Music Director for Childrens’ Theatre Performances.

‘’One of the areas I enjoy and feel very confident with, is the changing voice. Many teachers do not feel comfortable teaching a student whose voice is changing and will suggest the student stop for some time until the voice settles.” Paul feels this is missing a great opportunity for developing confidence, musicianship and most importantly, a fine vocal foundation. The student who studies with a knowledgeable teacher will not be embarrassed as often by loss of control and the voice cracking. The voice typically settles much more quickly and has a better, more resonant quality. Several of his young students performed in Amahl and The Night Visitors, and with Asheville Choral Society. A few of these students majored in voice and then began professional careers.

During a lesson with Paul you may read a poem as he analyzes your voice, general posture or perhaps laugh as you become more relaxed and at ease. “Voice is a joy, my family sang around the piano and had a great time. If you are in pain, have bulging veins in your neck, tend to become hoarse or have heaving shoulders while singing, you are not using your voice well and probably are not enjoying singing. Diction and learning to sing in other languages can be a wonderful help in developing a good voice. All genres will benefit from the use of other languages. There are some wonderful Jazz songs written in Portuguese and French. Just as the physical athlete lasts and excels due to training and technique, the same is true for the vocal athlete. No matter what style or genre you sing, you must develop technique.” The years of experience have encouraged him to acquire an extensive knowledge of music in many languages, styles and genres. “I derive a huge amount of fulfillment from teaching the student to use their voice well so they can enjoy singing songs in the genre of their choice while I accompany them on the piano.”

You should be able to sit for hours and still feel comfortable when you are playing. This is only possible when you develop a good posture. This is not a painful task but rather learning how your body works best while playing. Music is exciting and helps the mind and body. My best teacher always told us, “No matter what style or genre of music you are playing, you must be keyboard literate”. Understanding the instrument and the theory of music along with how to use the body in playing the chords, broken chords, scales, and melodies etc. makes it all seem so much easier. I teach sight reading because I feel it is very important to the enjoyment of music. There’s no drudgery in music, rather it is full of joy and excitement.

“Paul Templon is an esteemed teacher who fosters the art of singing in every student. He works well with singers from youth to old age, male and female, amateur and professional, as well as individuals with special needs. He both patiently trains my son with Down Syndrome and challenges his musically sophisticated brother to develop the art of voice. His instruction is individualized and will take you as far as you are prepared to go in the traditional, jazz or show tune repertoire, all the while holding you to an exacting musical standard. It’s not too far-fetched a claim that anyone who has a larynx can learn to sing with Paul Templon.”
– Joan H.“Taking a lesson with Paul is a musical journey, an educational experience that makes you dig deep and sing your heart out. Versed with a vast knowledge of the technical ins and outs of singing along with a deep emotional connection to the art and his students, Paul perfectly blends the personal and academic. He’s always there with a word of encouragement when you need it, and he’s always there to push you when you might be too timid otherwise. Paul makes you love your voice and love the process, which truly is a gift to anyone who has the pleasure to have him as a teacher.” –
– Shane B.

“Paul Templon is a comprehensive teacher of singing. His subtle understanding of breath support, muscular use, and emotional projection are excellent as is his grasp of style (art song, lieder, musical theatre, etc). He is also very aware of individual processes and the emotional journey a person goes on when really learning to sing and he works to create a safe space within which to explore this integral aspect of performance art.”
– Sam H.

“I really enjoy and am inspired to pursue my piano lessons. Paul is an excellent teacher and I really enjoy playing the piano… I am having a great time and learning a lot.”
– Zackary Ducker