Paige Powell, Membership Administrator

Paige Powell grew up with classical music playing all the time, and started piano lessons at the age of 8. She played classical pieces until she fell in love with the guitar at the age of 13. "At the time, I was playing the cello in Junior High School, and when I got the chance to goof-around, I'd turn the cello sideways like a guitar and practice the travis pick!"

Paige played her original songs in college, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Tulsa. Later, she played cover songs in clubs in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Colorado. The last 2 years she lived in Oklahoma, she was a member of the Tulsa Songwriters Association, and attended several songwriting seminars including one sponsored by ASCAP.

After relocating to the Washington, DC area, Paige played her songs at open mics and coffeehouses, and also played at churches and benefit concerts. After becoming successful as a graphic artist, which enabled her to set her own hours, Paige dedicated more time to songwriting and recording. She joined the Songwriters Association of Washington, where she attends monthly songwriting critiques and frequent seminars and workshops. In 2004, she joined TAXI, a songwriting agency, where she regularly submits songs and instrumental music.

Paige writes ballads, which can be marketed to pop, rock, country, or jazz singers. Occasionally, she likes to use jazz chords which lends them to the "jazz songs" market. Her lyrics tend to be more specific than vague: her song lyrics are about something. Most of her songs have been performance and open-mic tested, as well as critiqued by her fellow songwriters. Paige also writes instrumental pieces with strong melodies, working with a saxophone player as the soloist.

Paige's goal in songwriting is not only to publish many, many songs, but hopes that one of them would become a standard. "My biggest problem in songwriting is that I can't record them as quickly as I write them! I've always got a backlog of songs to be recorded."