Paul Dresher

Paul Joseph Dresher (born January 8, 1951, in Los Angeles) is an American composer. Paul Dresher was born and raised in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. From an early age, he was surrounded by music, deeply influenced by the sounds of Elvis Presley, as well as the folk and blues revivals that defined the 1960s. Rock and roll was an integral part of his formative years, and he began immersing himself in music in 1965–1966. Dresher’s musical upbringing was diverse. In addition to popular music, he was exposed to classical and contemporary classical music. His father, a mathematics professor at UCLA, was a passionate music enthusiast who often took his son to concerts and operas in Los Angeles, particularly at Schoenberg Concert Hall. Classically trained in piano from a young age, Dresher later developed a keen interest in world music during his teenage years. He began studying Indian music and listening extensively to music from Indonesia and other global traditions. Concurrently, he explored the technical side of music by experimenting with home tape recorders—reversing tape, overdubbing, manipulating speeds—and later delved into feedback after being influenced by Jimi Hendrix. These