Video from Paula Held

Intro Message from Paula Held

I've witnessed time and time again how profoundly people are moved by music. It is truly sacred, precious and undeniable. It connects us in fundamental and meaningful ways. And that's why I love it.

We used to pick up the phone or stop by and say hello. Instead every day I see people staring at little glowing rectangles trying to connect, never looking up. In their cars - their kids in the back, at music concerts - while an artist is reaching out, in restaurants - across from a date, at the movies - during a pivotal scene a director labored over, in line at the store - others waiting and checkout people working, heads bowed - walking down the street with a dog at the end of a chain in the other hand. In the midst of our digital rapture, we're missing opportunities to connect face-to-face, in real, real-time.

Music connects us. Art connects us. I'd like to share not just my music, but myself and my process and all its collateral damage and evidence with you, the music lover. Your ongoing pay-what-you-feel patronage allows me to do that and directly results in the creation of new work. With your support, we'll be making music together.

A year from now, I look forward to toasting the creative ground we've covered and the connection we've made. It will be an organic process, and in this day and age, it will seem Herculean. Instead it simply amounts to a little help, a lot of work, a modicum of luck and a ton of grace.

And that's how we do it, here on Earth.

About the Band / Bio

“Paula Held adds new ideas to the jazz-related work of now famous female artists like Norah Jones, Diana Krall & Madeleine Peyroux. Her songs are beautiful, the melody lines fine, her voice is flexible and sultry …" ~ Fred Schmale, Real Roots Cafe

Welcome to Patronism. In these pages you can wander through my interior landscape where paper and thoughts are tossed about like confetti and subjected to the pressure of craft, or which like a feather float down from the ether to make a song. In them is the life I live pushed through the sieve of our common, courageous, sometimes brutish and always fragile humanity. These songs have won awards, brought tears, created laughter.

Patronism gives me the freedom to continue to make more of the music you love, to move you and keep my art alive.

All art is made in relationship. Let's develop one and make new music together. We need one another now more than ever. With a small pledge of support, it can happen. Thanks so much for being here.

Latest Content Shared

February 19, 2012: Added track Why Don't You Love Me Anymore to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track Man of the House to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track That's How I Knew to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track What About Now to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track Oh Papa to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track Do You See The Moon to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track Your Other Guinevere to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track Cargo of Heartache to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track What Would Jesus Drive to album Music From the Rascal Yard
February 19, 2012: Added track Mountain Road to album Music From the Rascal Yard

Patron-Only Blog

Shattering Through

Feb 15, 2012

Journal Entry - Jan 15, 2012

Dew As You Please, Just Pay Me for the Cleaning Bill

Feb 14, 2012

Journal Entry - Jan 14, 2012

Dipping Into the Present

Feb 13, 2012

Journal Entry - Jan 13, 2012

Video Blog

Paula Held with Andrew Hardin - "Perfect Love" - Bugle Boy Oct 28, 2011

Jan 06, 2012

An older song from my days in Tallahassee. A woman outside of an Alanon meeting was expressing her frustration about a breakup from a relationship she thought was the real thing, then learned it was not. I asked her if she felt that it was worth spending more time worrying over or trying to recover this love. "Wouldn't you rather have ten minutes of the real thing, instead of ten years of a bad love?" She said, "You should go home and write a song about that." So I did.

Paula Held with Andrew Hardin - "Watermelon Moon Eyes" - Bugle Boy Oct 28, 2011

Jan 03, 2012

A song about desire.

Paula Held with Andrew Hardin - "You're My Falling Star" - Bugle Boy Oct 28, 2011

Jan 03, 2012

This song won an award from the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the Jazz category in 2010.