by Rikki Lee Travolta
This week’s episode of the entertainment interview radio show and podcast It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee will feature Tim Paul. Tim is the board president of the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, IL outside Chicago. He is also the owner of Piano Trends Music Company.
The Raue Center is a 750-seat proscenium theater that is registered with the League of Historic American Theatres and is dedicated to providing contemporary, vibrant performing arts programs in a state-of-the-art atmosphere. Paul has served as a board member since 2009 and as president of the board since 2016.
My reason for having Tim on It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee is simple. Tim Paul is known for his expertise in music and his passion for sharing the beauty of music with others. Like myself, Tim is also known for his positive attitude and love of the arts.
As the owner and operator of Piano Trends Music Company since starting the company with wife Bobbi in 1990, Tim has also been a heralded speaker at the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) for over a decade.
Taking place each year in Anaheim, California, NAMM is one of the largest music product trade shows in the world. The event is attended by over 40 thousand music industry professionals and members of the public, attracting celebrities and up-and-coming artists alike. Recent attendees at NAMM shows include Stevie Wonder, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, Garth Brooks, Kenny Loggins, Jason Mraz, and Steven Tyler.
Piano Trends Music Company, also known as Piano Trends Music & Band, has been a pillar of the Chicagoland suburban music scene since it opened over 30 years ago. The company offers instrument sales, rentals, and repairs, as well as a dynamic music education program headed by Bobbi. The Pauls and their staff also find other ways to use music to reach people.
I really hope people from far and wide tune in for this interview. One of the things that listeners will fall in love with about Tim Paul and the staff at Piano Trends Music is that they use music as a way to instill joy into the community.
Tim, Bobbi, and all the dedicated artists at Piano Trends participate in an ongoing daily live-stream program entitled Lifting Spirits Through Music. Each day, one or more of the musicians at Piano Trends takes to the Internet in a Facebook live-stream performance of musical stylings. Guest singers and musicians are a mainstay of the daily Internet program.
With It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee we are always trying to connect listeners with unique stories from the entertainment industry. Tim Paul is extremely knowledgeable and so willing to share that wisdom with others. He is a gift to the performing arts community. And he’s got some great stories to tell. He’s even worked extensively as an organist at professional baseball stadiums.
It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee airs every Friday at 3 PM CST on 101.5 FM out of Chicago’s Huntley neighborhood. It can be streamed in real-time from anywhere in the world at www.HuntleyRadio.com and is available as a podcast on all major apps. It can be heard on Spotify at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rikkileetravolta/
As you’ll hear in the interview, both Tim and I adhere to a belief that whether it’s performing, learning, or listening, everyone should make it a point to celebrate the joys that music can bring. We both hope you’ll make music a part of your life.
When it comes down to it, there is oxygen, which we rely on to breathe. There is food and water, which we rely on for physical nourishment. Then there is music – which some would argue is every bit as necessary for the human experience. Music can move the soul. It can make you feel. It can make your world magical.
Piano Trends Music Co. is located at 35 Berkshire Drive in Crystal Lake, IL. Reach the store at (815) 477-4266 or online at www.PianoTrendsMusicBand.com.
For details on Lifting Spirts Through Music on Facebook, visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/liftingspiritsthroughmusic.
Past episodes of the daily live-stream event are offered on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/user/pianotrends.
