featuring
Paula Byrne, vocals
George Mitchell, keyboard
www.PaulaByrneMusic.com
Paula Byrne's voice is like chilled champagne on a hot summer day. She moves easily between songs that are lush and beautiful to highly rhythmic, wild rides. Her sense of humor, revival of obscure songs and new twists on old standards keeps the audience engaged and enraptured.
Paula is eclectic in her choice of musicians with whom to perform, including many of Portland's best: Randy Porter, Gordon Lee, George Mitchell, Craig Bidondo, Joe Millward, Ron Steen, Dennis Caiazza, Rich Turnoy, Glenn Holstrom, Andrea Niemiec, Kevin Dietz, Christopher Woitach and Darin Clendenin, Matt Tabor, Craig Snazelle, Dave Captein, Vince Frates, Dan Gaynor, John Gilmore, Mike Horsfall, Greg Goebel, Dan Presley, Carlton Jackson, Gordon Lee, Todd Marston.
Born to a jazz drummer (father) and figure skater (mother), she has been a lover of music and movement since birth. Paula teaches dance locally and internationally, and has been a moving force in the dance scene in Portland since 1996. She is the creator of the Wild Grace™ and DanceQuest™ movement meditations, and is Founder of SomaSpace ~ Studio of Movement Arts in NE PDX.
Paula was an Oracle software developer in the corporate high-tech field for 20 years. She left that career in 2005 to devote herself full-time to her soul-work in assisting people to remember and reconnect to the body as a source of wisdom, pleasure and joy in the present moment.
Paula's YouTube Channel : YouTube
Paula's Transformational Dance Website : www.WildGrace.us
Paula's TED Talk on Everyday Dancing :
In 2009, George Mitchell performed with a 40-piece orchestra at the extravagant Symphonica in Rosso at the Gelredome, in Arnhem, Netherlands. He played at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in Oslo, Norway, in 2008, and at a command concert for Prince Charles in Hyde Park, London, in 2002. He was one of several performers at the 2001 private benefit and farewell salute to Bill Clinton in Los Angeles; earlier that year at a private concert, honoring Motown founder Berry Gordy; in 2000 at the VH1 Divas Live from Madison Square Garden, New York; and got soaked as thunderstorms poured on Miss Ross’ 1983 Live in Central Park mega concert before a massive crowd of 400,000 fans.
Mitchell’s keyboard talents were featured in command performances for the Queen of England, and more recently at Super Concerts in Taipei and Tokyo with Ms. Ross and renowned opera singers Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo.
Most recently, Mitchell was a guest keyboardist on Wicked: The Musical at Keller Auditorium, during its 2012 Portland run; and at the prestigious 10 Grands Concerts at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, in Portland, from 2005 to 2010.
He has appeared many times as an ensemble player on top-rated television shows, including: Oprah, The Tonight Show, Late Night with David Letterman, the TODAY Show, and the Arsenio Hall Show
