Paul has studied formally, at various times, trombone, recorder, piano and viola da gamba and he founded Franklin Pierce's early music group Lachrimae in 1979. He is also the recording librarian, overseeing a collection of thousands of individual items. Our purpose is to provide our students with the tools to realize their goals. We work closely with each student to fashion a program tailored to their needs. Franklin Pierce requires music majors and minors to complete two semesters of music history and we offer several period courses and specialty courses to cover specific topics in depth.
Music history can be a fascinating exploration into the human mind and the diverse ways it operates.
Those students interested in performance need to place the works they perform in a historical context. Students interested in music theory and composition need a historical basis for their own work. Knowing what has gone on before is essential to understanding the present and the future. Humans have not always viewed music as we do now. And we do not now view music as our descendants will.