Welcome to Paul Reisler's Official Site

EVER SINCE HE STARTED making up songs at the age of five, Paul has led the musical life. He's performed in thousands of concerts with his band Trapezoid and now with his new group, Paul Reisler & A Thousand Questions featuring Howard Levy. He's written thousands of songs and instrumentals. And he's inspired thousands of adults and children's to live the musical life though his songcamps and his Kid Pan Alley project.

NEWS

KID PAN ALLEY: Want to Be Involved?
     • Donate online
     • Bring Kid Pan Alley to your community
     • Buy Kid Pan Alley CDs

Kid Pan Alley on NPR's Morning Edition!
On Tuesday, March 27, NPR's Morning Edition featrured Renee Montagne interviewing Paul Reisler, founder of Kid Pan Alley and world-class songwriter, as well as segments recorded from Paul's recent residency at an Orr Elementary in Washington, DC.

The interview will broadcast nationwide to the largest radio listening audience in the country Monday morning. Tune in to your local NPR station, or visit the NPR website where the interview will be available after airing.
(www.npr.org)

• • •

Kid Pan Alley in the News!
See Paul on NewsChannel 5 Nashville leading a group of kids through the songwriting process. Note: Thanks for being patient for the file to download. It's well worth the wait. kpa-ch5 nashville news.mpg (Also check out the KPA site here.)

Want to be a better Songwriter? 2007 Blue Ridge Songwriters Retreat
Join Julie Portman, John McCutcheon, Ron Browning and myself for the most intensive songcamp in the country! June 18-23 near Charlottesville, VA. www.songcamps.com (more)

Songwriting Workshop at Hollyhock
Come join Beth Nielsen Chapman and myself. A week of performance and songwriting in the most beautiful place I've ever been. July 27-August 1 on Cortes Island, BC. www.hollyhock.bc.ca (more)

Rocky Mountain Folks Song School
My 11th year teaching at this famed and fabulous song school in Lyons, CO. Also on staff are Julie Portman, Steve Seskin, Vance Gilbert, others. Find out more at www.bluegrass.com.

NewSong Academy
Join Paul Reisler, Jason Plume, Craig Bickhardt and others in Shephardstown, WV for a workshop weekend to remember. August 9-11. www.newsongfestival.com

Paul Reisler and A Thousand Questions
Paul's band featuring Howard Levy (Flectones), Angela Kaset, and Amy Speace has a new album of Paul's songs and instrumentals—At Night the Roses Tango. They are joined by Ysaye Barnwell (Sweet Honey in the Rock), Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett), John Gardner (Dixie Chicks), Kenny Malone, Fred Bogert (Trout Fishing in America) and Joe Smyth (Sawyer Brown). (more)

Kid Pan Alley
Paul is the founder and Artistic Director of the Kid Pan Alley children’s songwriting project. So far, he's co-written more than 600 songs with over 12,000 children and has recorded two albums of the songs.

Kid Pan Alley Nashville will be released in June on Compass Records. The album features some of Nashville's finest singers, songwriters and musicians. There were over 19 Grammy award winners involved in the project. The artist's singing the songs we wrote with the kids included: Amy Grant, Kix Brooks, Suzy Bogguss, Delbert McClinton, Tommy Sims, Raul Malo, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Nashville Chamber Orchestra, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Darrell Scott, Kim Richey, Lari White, Jonell Mosser, Mustafa, Paul Colman, Will Hoge, John Bindel, and Jimmy Hall. Even before it was released nationally, it has won a number of major awards including Parents' Choice and NAPPA Gold Awards as well as a Grammy nomination. www.kidpanalley.org. (more)

Trapezoid
The Washington Post called them "the finest folk group in America." Stereo Review said, "they are a reason to believe there is still real music on this continent." Trapezoid was one of America’s most popular and influential acoustic bands for over 25 years. Paul Reisler was the co-founder and leader of the band throughout that time.

In 2002, the most popular configuration of the band got back together—the 80's version with Reisler, Lorraine Duisit and Freyda Epstein.

When Long Time Down this Road was released, Sing Out Magazine said, "This retrospective CD of Trapezoid's musical travels represents the broad swath cut by this influential group—the musical innovation from one of our most creative ensembles." Their long journey down the twisting musical road ended with the tragic death of Freyda Epstein in 2004.