By Owen Underhill
Paul Plimley was that rare kind of individual that always lit up a room as he bounded in. I encountered him first when I came to join the Simon Fraser University Centre for the Arts Music program as a young faculty member in the early eighties. Paul was an ideal example of the mature, talented SFU student, a recent escapee from UBC with piercing blue eyes and endless inventiveness. He was overflowing with energy, open to everything, but also very advanced and sophisticated in his musical personality and thinking. He was fun to be around, and seemed to be enjoying the freedom of working in an interdisciplinary arts school with a contemporary focus. I worked with him as a composition teacher in that period, and it was delightful and animated, more like a friendly and spirited debate. There was always a lot of detailed back and forth in that dialogue and I can remember Paul telling me I had a weakness against octaves on the piano, as I tried to get him to consider to not use so many – we would laugh together about that!
One of Paul’s close student colleagues back then was Kenneth Newby, and together they shared an interest in global music (including gamelan), dance, and innovative projects of all kinds. Paul was always a brilliant musician, with a refreshing and prolific mind that was ideally suited to improvisation and creation of all kinds. His music was many things including grace, athleticism, humour, joy, thoughtfulness, generosity to others, and playful connection to the world around him.
Of course, I had the pleasure to encounter Paul in all kinds of situations and admire and experience his work in many musical contexts over the years. It was always like no time had elapsed when we ran into each other. He was remarkable in having a lovely one-to-one connection between the way he lived in the world, and his music. Perhaps that was in part because of his honesty and unpretentiousness. Paul has made an extraordinary and rich musical contribution that is very distinctive and meaningful. He will be missed by many!
Owen Underhill
Professor | School for the Contemporary Arts
Simon Fraser University |
149 W Hastings St.,
Vancouver, BC,
V6B 1H4
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