Paul Lauro-Priestly: Graphic Arts Publishing Coordinator

If there is one way Paul Lauro-Priestly finds it most effective to express emotion, it’s through his music. Lauro-Priestly has been singing since he was 10 years old, walking into downtown Boston to sing with the St. Paul’s cathedral choir.
It was at the New England Conservatory where Lauro-Priestly learned how to sing classically with diaphragmatic breathing and a healthy range. From there, Lauro-Priestly was able to explore music that was more personal to him.
“I was like 16 and went into rock ‘n’ roll and started writing music. Music comes to me like when you’re listening to music in your earphones: completely mixed,” Lauro-Priestly said. “I have to decipher and figure out what different sounds are and what instrumentation is on the piece. It’s very challenging.”
Lauro-Priestly conveys a variety of emotions through his voice, even when it is not mirrored in how he carries himself on the day-to-day.
“My songs are not what you would expect: they are really hard, abrasive and aggressive,” Lauro-Priestly said. “The interesting part is that’s not really who I am; I’m a joyful, happy kind of person. I think that music allows me to express any feelings of anger, which in adolescence was a big thing for me.”
At one point, Lauro-Priestly was able to make a living through his passion for singing, being a frontman in a band and doing solo performances at his church.
“I lived on music. I did that for seven or eight years. People have different ideas of what success is, but to me, I was successful because I was able to live, put food on my table and pay my bills all off of my work,” Lauro-Priestly said.
Lauro-Priestly especially appreciates being able to engage on a deep level with his audience by putting emotion into his music. When touching the hearts of his audience, he makes his best singing memories.
“It was probably about three or four years ago and I was at church and I was singing a particularly moving piece of music and people were crying. I was also tearing up,” Lauro-Priestly said. “I think music feeds your soul. I really do.”