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 (it took a while to add the rock-n-roll). Dad used to entertain us during long trips by leading sing-alongs 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 along with every record album & single, trying to match the sounds & tones &
styles. It worked to build my small & clear voice into one with a little punch. When I was 12 I took some private
voice lessons for a while and later sang in the High School choruses. When I was 15, my brother started taking
guitar lessons. That didn’t last long because 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 piano lessons briefly at the age of 6 but didn't keep my interest until I was in High School -trying to
pick out melodies I was familiar with.
Though music was not my goal while attending college at Eastern Michigan University, it was still a big part of my
life. I started to befriend other musicians. For a short period of time I fronted a band at Ralph’s Supper Club in the
Detroit area. On campus, I sought attention by doing 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 a sign, my thumb, a laundry bag
of my belongings, & my guitar. (This is not a recommended activity!) 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 finally
got bored & returned to school. Back in Michigan, I later attended a "gig" with my (then) boyfriend at a hotel.
Down the hall from the party, peeking into the hotel lounge, I found a girl on a stool, playing her guitar & singing.
That was it! I decided if she could make some money at it, so could I. And, I proceeded to do just that - performing
vocals with my guitar at campus coffee houses & cocktail hours nearby. I built up my skills & got back into the
piano more seriously (while still managing to earn my Bachelor's degree.)
After I graduated college, I decided to “visit” my brother at U of C La Jolla. That visit turned into a period of 5
years, as I built up more repertoire & experience playing cocktail music at NCO clubs, easy listening/folk-
tunes/originals at lounges on Hotel Circle & around San Diego. I played sing-along music at Shakey’s Pizza and
built quite a following at Chris’ Phillipino Restaurant. A few times I performed as lead vocalist for a band here &
there, but mainly I played solo. Many a night I would stay up late & hone my material or notate originals. I did
copyright 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. During a period of about 3 years, we performed all over the USA. We hit spots in Oregon,
Wyoming, Louisiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, California, New Mexico, & some small towns in Alberta Canada to name a
few. Though we started with a manager for a while, we found ourselves more successful at booking our own
engagements. Settling in Boise, Idaho we married. Actively performing in some local lounges at first, we later
conceived "Aurora Entertainment" a booking agency focused on the special occasion/private party market. Aurora
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.
I put aside performing to raise our daughter when the partnership ended. Amber & I moved back to the Detroit
area & later to Raleigh, NC. Amber grew and developed musical interests of her own. She became involved in the
vocal competition arena and I supported her interests, coaching on occasion. I eventually landed a day job,
adjudicating disability claims. While there, I have managed to show my vocal talents on occasion, at holiday
gatherings, retirement parties, & talent shows. I bought another keyboard & took out the guitar again about 1996.
My daughter really prompted the spark of music back to my life. After an evening concert at her school, I stopped
at Border’s Bookstore to have a quick bite before heading home. It was there I connected with the "Triangle Folk
Sing Club". I found a circle of chairs filled with people who had various instruments & voices, making music using
some of the very songs I grew up with. I started bringing my guitar there on Tuesdays & got in some real good
practice, relearned some old tunes & also learned some new.
My daughter later asked me if I would put on a Holiday performance with her where she worked. So we plugged
up the amp & turned on the mics & got to know each other in a different way, making music together. My daughter
had her more classical style & was just about all “pop”. We created a wonderful blend & charm setting up a
multicultural Holiday program. Since then, we've practiced every Fall, gearing up for the Holiday season. We look
forward to performances as a team, though I still generally perform "solo". (My music plans were slightly delayed.
Love came around again and I remarried in 2002. That's why you will see different names when you look through
the website & photos.)
I currently market myself as a soloist for special occasions and senior/healthcare facilities. I recently finally got
around to recording some of my older & newly written original material. My LP CD "Renewed" was released
October 2007. Keep an eye on the "calendar" page, where you will find my performances posted. The performances
open to the public will specifically be highlighted. If you have a special occasion and you can appreciate some
versatile selections at a considerate volume, I’m the performer you need! I still keep up with some new music of a
variety of styles, particularly focusing on those tunes I can put across as a soloist though I specialize in nostalgia &
show music. My creativity is still flowing with new lyrics & music. I have also been known to revise popular song
lyrics into medleys for special occasions as well as produce entirely original music for a creative gift.
Thank you for exploring this site. Feel free to contact me for more information by E-mail or phone
(919) 787-7615 (Raleigh, NC)
-- Paula C Snyder
by many types of music. Our music collection contained pop, ethnic, folk, Broadway & show tunes, classical, &
comedy (it took a while to add the rock-n-roll). Dad used to entertain us during long trips by leading sing-alongs 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 along with every record album & single, trying to match the sounds & tones &
styles. It worked to build my small & clear voice into one with a little punch. When I was 12 I took some private
voice lessons for a while and later sang in the High School choruses. When I was 15, my brother started taking
guitar lessons. That didn’t last long because 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 piano lessons briefly at the age of 6 but didn't keep my interest until I was in High School -trying to
pick out melodies I was familiar with.
Though music was not my goal while attending college at Eastern Michigan University, it was still a big part of my
life. I started to befriend other musicians. For a short period of time I fronted a band at Ralph’s Supper Club in the
Detroit area. On campus, I sought attention by doing 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 a sign, my thumb, a laundry bag
of my belongings, & my guitar. (This is not a recommended activity!) 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 finally
got bored & returned to school. Back in Michigan, I later attended a "gig" with my (then) boyfriend at a hotel.
Down the hall from the party, peeking into the hotel lounge, I found a girl on a stool, playing her guitar & singing.
That was it! I decided if she could make some money at it, so could I. And, I proceeded to do just that - performing
vocals with my guitar at campus coffee houses & cocktail hours nearby. I built up my skills & got back into the
piano more seriously (while still managing to earn my Bachelor's degree.)
After I graduated college, I decided to “visit” my brother at U of C La Jolla. That visit turned into a period of 5
years, as I built up more repertoire & experience playing cocktail music at NCO clubs, easy listening/folk-
tunes/originals at lounges on Hotel Circle & around San Diego. I played sing-along music at Shakey’s Pizza and
built quite a following at Chris’ Phillipino Restaurant. A few times I performed as lead vocalist for a band here &
there, but mainly I played solo. Many a night I would stay up late & hone my material or notate originals. I did
copyright 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. During a period of about 3 years, we performed all over the USA. We hit spots in Oregon,
Wyoming, Louisiana, Virginia, Wisconsin, California, New Mexico, & some small towns in Alberta Canada to name a
few. Though we started with a manager for a while, we found ourselves more successful at booking our own
engagements. Settling in Boise, Idaho we married. Actively performing in some local lounges at first, we later
conceived "Aurora Entertainment" a booking agency focused on the special occasion/private party market. Aurora
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.
I put aside performing to raise our daughter when the partnership ended. Amber & I moved back to the Detroit
area & later to Raleigh, NC. Amber grew and developed musical interests of her own. She became involved in the
vocal competition arena and I supported her interests, coaching on occasion. I eventually landed a day job,
adjudicating disability claims. While there, I have managed to show my vocal talents on occasion, at holiday
gatherings, retirement parties, & talent shows. I bought another keyboard & took out the guitar again about 1996.
My daughter really prompted the spark of music back to my life. After an evening concert at her school, I stopped
at Border’s Bookstore to have a quick bite before heading home. It was there I connected with the "Triangle Folk
Sing Club". I found a circle of chairs filled with people who had various instruments & voices, making music using
some of the very songs I grew up with. I started bringing my guitar there on Tuesdays & got in some real good
practice, relearned some old tunes & also learned some new.
My daughter later asked me if I would put on a Holiday performance with her where she worked. So we plugged
up the amp & turned on the mics & got to know each other in a different way, making music together. My daughter
had her more classical style & was just about all “pop”. We created a wonderful blend & charm setting up a
multicultural Holiday program. Since then, we've practiced every Fall, gearing up for the Holiday season. We look
forward to performances as a team, though I still generally perform "solo". (My music plans were slightly delayed.
Love came around again and I remarried in 2002. That's why you will see different names when you look through
the website & photos.)
I currently market myself as a soloist for special occasions and senior/healthcare facilities. I recently finally got
around to recording some of my older & newly written original material. My LP CD "Renewed" was released
October 2007. Keep an eye on the "calendar" page, where you will find my performances posted. The performances
open to the public will specifically be highlighted. If you have a special occasion and you can appreciate some
versatile selections at a considerate volume, I’m the performer you need! I still keep up with some new music of a
variety of styles, particularly focusing on those tunes I can put across as a soloist though I specialize in nostalgia &
show music. My creativity is still flowing with new lyrics & music. I have also been known to revise popular song
lyrics into medleys for special occasions as well as produce entirely original music for a creative gift.
Thank you for exploring this site. Feel free to contact me for more information by E-mail or phone
(919) 787-7615 (Raleigh, NC)
-- Paula C Snyder
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