Today we’d like to introduce you to Paul Vanier De Saint Aunay
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hi, my name is Paul Vanier de Saint Aunay, I’m a French pianist, music producer and mixer. I was born in countryside Paris in a family of musicians, and began playing the piano at the age of 4. I studied classical music first during my entire childhood, then later realized I wanted to make my passion my everyday life. After graduating from the IMEP Paris College of Music and the Paris Conservatory in jazz studies, I am currently finishing my Bachelor of Arts at Berklee College of Music in Boston with a merit-based scholarship. I specialize in music production and look to work as a piano performer and producer in the music industry, as well as a composer and sound designer for visual and interactive media.
In Paris, I worked as a creative in two pop indie funk projects, Dans le Kosmos and Sale Gamine, that met a certain success online, also thanks to one of our songs being used as a credits song in “Le Nouveau Jouet”, a mainstream comedy movie with a million entries at the French Box Office.
To connect the french music culture to Berklee and my US adventure, I co-founded and currently preside the Berklee French Touch Club which organizes concerts, masterclasses and cultural events.
In Berklee, I managed to be part of amazing ambitious projects in various domains. I performed with amazing musicians such as Omar Hakim (Michael Jackson and Madonna’s drummer) and Cory Henry (Snarky Puppy), and in front of Finneas, Ashe, Benny Green, Sullivan Fortner, Kenny Baron.
I also developed an electro-pop band called Beyond Niagara, with whom I released an EP and an Album that I composed, produced, played on, mixed and mastered.
As I finish my last year at Berklee, I am preparing my coming to LA with high hopes to become a successful musician, producer and sound engineer there. The epicenter of the music industry is my main goal and I can’t wait to reach the highest mounts.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Mainly, my coming to the US through Berklee has been the hardest challenge of my life. I managed to obtain a scholarship that covered 2/3 of the tuition price, but compared to salaries and revenue of France, was still astonishingly high. My parents are elementary and middle school music teachers. Their yearly salary is almost equivalent to a yearly tuition. Therefore I had to find as many ways I could to cover for rent, food, plane tickets, tuition and other expenses.
On top of my studies and my personal projects, I had to work 20 hours a week, the maximum for an international student, on 3 jobs as a Sound Engineer for live concerts, Piano Accompanist for voice students and a French teacher. I almost use my entire salary to pay for rent, and have a really small budget for food. The college gives me a relatively modest food help to allow me to give my best in my studies. I am really excited to finally have my work permit after my graduation in May.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I have been a pianist for the last 20 years of my life, and this facet of my work is what I am most known for. Using the skills I acquired through hard work and prestigious studies back in Paris, I allowed myself to expand my knowledge to music production, sound design, synthesizers and mixing. This is what I have been studying at Berklee, adding to my piano skills to create my unique touch and signature sounds.
I am really proud of all the projects I have released, as I always give my very best. I consider songs, EPs and albums snapshots of a particular moment with specific context in the creative process.
Here is a Spotify playlist with all the released song I produced, mixed or played on : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2bGBJ2qJC2aHeb09HR83VM?si=0f4cee228d4b4d82
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
I don’t think so!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulovanier/
