My appreciation for music started when I was just a little girl. Our family grew up in Detroit, Michigan,
charmed by many types of music. Our music collection contained pop, ethnic, folk, Broadway & show tunes, classical,
& comedy. Dad used to entertain us during long trips by leading sing-a-longs in the car. My sister & I had high sweet
blending voices & Dad would pop in with a harmony or two to see if we could stay on key. My little brother followed
suit as he got older. Mom also knew her stuff! At family gatherings we would put on great harmony.
I learned to sing solo by practicing with record albums & singles, trying to match the sounds & tones &
styles. I took some private voice lessons at age 12 & later sang in my high school choruses. When I was 15, my brother
was taking guitar lessons, but then I came along & “stole” the guitar from him. My friends & family found me jotting
down chords & lyrics to the songs I heard on the radio. (I still have my first notebook of 3-chord songs!). I took formal
piano lessons briefly at the age of 6, later picking out familiar melodies from the radio by ear during my high school
years.
Though music was not my goal while attending college (E M U), it was still a big part of my life. I befriended other
musicians, fronted a band at Ralph’s Supper Club (Dearborn area), and on campus, sought attention by doing crazy
things like sitting in the middle of the sidewalk playing my guitar & singing. The serious turning point came when I
took off hitch-hiking with only a sign, a laundry bag of belongings, & my guitar. Then I played for my supper, played
for myself, played when I was stuck in the desert alone at dusk. I started writing my own simple songs that summer, but
eventually returned to college. I later attended a "gig" with my (then) boyfriend at a hotel & found a girl on a stool in
the lounge, playing her guitar & singing. I decided if she could make some money at it, so could I. And, I proceeded to
do that! I arranged performances singing with my guitar as back up at campus coffee houses & cocktail lounges
nearby. Building my vocal, guitar, & piano skills, I completing my Bachelor's degree.
After graduating college, I “visited” my brother at U of C La Jolla. That visit turned into a period of 5 years, as
I added to my song repertoire & experience playing cocktail music at NCO clubs, easy listening/folk-tunes/originals at
lounges on Hotel Circle & around San Diego. I played sing-a-long music at Shakey’s Pizza and built quite a following
at Chris’ Filipino Restaurant. A few times I performed as lead vocalist for a band here & there, but mainly I played solo.
I even taught beginning group piano lessons & created a music program for toddlers at Loma Verde Community
Center. Many a night I would stay up late & hone my material or notate original songs. I did copyright and demo a few
songs, but did not pursue a recording career. I met my former husband & partner in San Diego. When I was offered a
tour of lounges across the country, we decided we could do that as a team.
We billed ourselves as “Aurora”. Starting off with "easy listening" material, we gradually became rather adept
as a dance-able duo. We performed all over the USA, hitting spots including Oregon, Wyoming, Louisiana, Virginia,
Wisconsin, California, New Mexico, & some small towns in Alberta Canada. Though we started with a manager, we
found ourselves more successful at booking our own engagements. Settling in Boise, Idaho we married, performed
together in local lounges, later conceiving "Aurora Entertainment" (a booking agency focused on the special
occasion/private party market). Aurora (the duo) became quite a popular reunion & wedding band because we had
versatile style, a compact set-up, low volume, and committed only to bookings that were a good match for our style. We
were willing to learn new material and offered a less expensive alternative to a big band.
[MORE]
charmed by many types of music. Our music collection contained pop, ethnic, folk, Broadway & show tunes, classical,
& comedy. Dad used to entertain us during long trips by leading sing-a-longs in the car. My sister & I had high sweet
blending voices & Dad would pop in with a harmony or two to see if we could stay on key. My little brother followed
suit as he got older. Mom also knew her stuff! At family gatherings we would put on great harmony.
I learned to sing solo by practicing with record albums & singles, trying to match the sounds & tones &
styles. I took some private voice lessons at age 12 & later sang in my high school choruses. When I was 15, my brother
was taking guitar lessons, but then I came along & “stole” the guitar from him. My friends & family found me jotting
down chords & lyrics to the songs I heard on the radio. (I still have my first notebook of 3-chord songs!). I took formal
piano lessons briefly at the age of 6, later picking out familiar melodies from the radio by ear during my high school
years.
Though music was not my goal while attending college (E M U), it was still a big part of my life. I befriended other
musicians, fronted a band at Ralph’s Supper Club (Dearborn area), and on campus, sought attention by doing crazy
things like sitting in the middle of the sidewalk playing my guitar & singing. The serious turning point came when I
took off hitch-hiking with only a sign, a laundry bag of belongings, & my guitar. Then I played for my supper, played
for myself, played when I was stuck in the desert alone at dusk. I started writing my own simple songs that summer, but
eventually returned to college. I later attended a "gig" with my (then) boyfriend at a hotel & found a girl on a stool in
the lounge, playing her guitar & singing. I decided if she could make some money at it, so could I. And, I proceeded to
do that! I arranged performances singing with my guitar as back up at campus coffee houses & cocktail lounges
nearby. Building my vocal, guitar, & piano skills, I completing my Bachelor's degree.
After graduating college, I “visited” my brother at U of C La Jolla. That visit turned into a period of 5 years, as
I added to my song repertoire & experience playing cocktail music at NCO clubs, easy listening/folk-tunes/originals at
lounges on Hotel Circle & around San Diego. I played sing-a-long music at Shakey’s Pizza and built quite a following
at Chris’ Filipino Restaurant. A few times I performed as lead vocalist for a band here & there, but mainly I played solo.
I even taught beginning group piano lessons & created a music program for toddlers at Loma Verde Community
Center. Many a night I would stay up late & hone my material or notate original songs. I did copyright and demo a few
songs, but did not pursue a recording career. I met my former husband & partner in San Diego. When I was offered a
tour of lounges across the country, we decided we could do that as a team.
We billed ourselves as “Aurora”. Starting off with "easy listening" material, we gradually became rather adept
as a dance-able duo. We performed all over the USA, hitting spots including Oregon, Wyoming, Louisiana, Virginia,
Wisconsin, California, New Mexico, & some small towns in Alberta Canada. Though we started with a manager, we
found ourselves more successful at booking our own engagements. Settling in Boise, Idaho we married, performed
together in local lounges, later conceiving "Aurora Entertainment" (a booking agency focused on the special
occasion/private party market). Aurora (the duo) became quite a popular reunion & wedding band because we had
versatile style, a compact set-up, low volume, and committed only to bookings that were a good match for our style. We
were willing to learn new material and offered a less expensive alternative to a big band.
[MORE]
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...intimate soothing to refreshing whimsy, jazzy smoothing to
gutsy bluesy, stories portrayed & emotions conveyed...
gutsy bluesy, stories portrayed & emotions conveyed...
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Soulfully Nostalgic Music with a Modern Flair
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| Paula & Mike Smith as duo "Aurora" |