Paul Chenoweth | Pottery

Paul Chenoweth Pottery at Mud Puddle Pottery
Mud Puddle Pottery Harpeth Art Center

This is a narrative that started several hundred years ago when an industrious and inventive individual scooped up a handful of clay from a creek bed and began forming it into something that  produced a sound or a tone. No one really knows when that event happened but the process that took that lump of clay and formed it into something capable of delivering  a musical composition is an art that must not be lost or forgotten. And since no one really knows the details surrounding this monumental event, it is time that the stories reveal themselves from the heavy fog of history. This is that place and here is where one will find some of those tales.

Paul Chenoweth is one of those creative sorts whose background in architecture, art, music, and education make him a likely candidate to keep the story of ceramic musical instrument making alive. For now, the stories are about whimsical instruments that frequently combine a functioning tone sculpture with something like a cup (or mug)…thus the name MugPhlute. Paul’s middle initial is “M”. You may decide for yourself what the M stand for… but for now, M is for MugPhlute.

In 2011, additional exploration began into the world of experimental percussion instruments. Those experiments include ways of looking at all instruments as sculpture and sculpture with human qualities… where else could the music come from if the object is truly inanimate?

Biographical Sketch

  • Born: Bowling Green, KY while father was band director at Western Kentucky State Teacher’s College (now Western Kentucky University)…both mom & dad were perpetual students (that explains a lot).
  • Elementary & High School: Mostly Macon, Georgia schools – Lanier Sr. High School for Boys
  • College: Auburn University – Bachelor of Architecture
    Belmont University – M.Ed
    Nova Southeastern – Ed.D candidate – technology in education
  • Careers: Church Architect, Scenic Designer/Builder, Songwriter, Landscape Designer, Videographer/Editor, Web Developer/Programmer, Artist
  • Family: Married for 45 years…residing in Nashville, TN…2 grown children, 2 amazing children-in-law and 5 ‘energized’ grandchildren