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Paul Novotny | Biography: October 2020

Since 1979 Canadian bassist Paul Novotny has performed with stalwart jazz pianists Cedar Walton, Geoff Keezer, Junior Mance, Brian Browne, Hagood Hardy, John Campbell, Richard Wyands, Don Friedman, Ray Downes, Jo-Anne Brakeen and Don Thompson. Novotny is a multi-nominated (Juno Award) bassist and has produced Juno Award winning music such as Joe Sealy’s Africville Suite, released on Paul’s independent imprint Triplet Records. He has composed/produced music and sound for advertising, film, and TV — CBC The National, The Hour and Newsworld’s News Now. Paul also played bass on the platinum selling video game soundtrack Cuphead and has accompanied singers David Clayton Thomas, Susannah McCorkle, Carol Welsman, Trudy Desmond, Jackie Richardson, Alana Bridgwater, Barbra Lica, Holy Cole, Molly Johnson and Roger Whitaker.

As an emerging academic Paul has an MA in music composition and he is a published author on the topic of immersive 5.1 surround sound for music (ARP-2017-18 Stockholm SE). His current research examins do-it-yourself (DIY) electronic music production, higher popular music education (HPME) pedagogy and the virtual learning environment (VLE). Paul is a certified Apple Digital Music mastering engineer and has taught music production at Humber College since 2008. He has also taught film music composition, bass (electric/upright) and music business.

In 2015 Paul released his duo recording Look Ahead with pianist Robi Botos. He is a Spotify and Apple Music artist and as a band leader has presented performances with Robi Botos, Jackie Richardson, Alana Bridgwater at concert venues The Algonquin Theatre, Fieldcote Music Festival, The Elora Festival, The Lieth Summer Festival, Gallery 345, Showplace, The Lakefield Jazz and Arts Festival and Lakefield College School.

As a board director in the Screen Composers Guild of Canada (SCGC) he has testified as an expert copyright witness to the standing committees of Heritage and Industry/Science (INDU) and is currently advancing 21st century renewal of Canadas private copy regime to include AV screen composers as beneficiaries.

Ongoing projects include audio-post sound design and mix for the CTV Bell TV-1 series CAMPFIRE with country music singer/songwriter/host Jason McCoy, and CANADA NICE, a Tourism Canada production created by Irene Sankoff and David Heln (Come From Away) where Paul is performing electric bass and contracting a thirty-musician orchestra (A F of M B-6 contract for Commercial Advertisement music recording) for recording at Revolution Sound Studio in Toronto.