Music was a huge part of Paul's life once he discovered the tuba in junior high. Paul would say, "I never remember a day when I didn't love playing the tuba." A descendant of J. S. Bach, and a distant cousin of Richard Wagner, his talent had historic roots. He began musical training at age 12 and over the years studied with renowned tubists Arnold Jacobs, Chester Schmitz, and Abe Torchinsky.
Paul started his career under the bigtop at age 15 with a night with Clyde Beatty Cole Brothers Circus Band as a last minute replacement for their tuba player. The circus wanted to hire him but his parents objected. Friends sometimes jokingly referred to him as the "Last of the Bigtop Tubaists". As an adult he played on the band wagon in the Milwaukee Circus Parade.
Paul became Principal Tuba of the Nuremberg Philharmonic at age 18. Returning to the United States he played in the Chicago Brass Ensemble and worked as a studio musician in Chicago. Primarily an orchestral player, Paul traveled to Europe three times as a featured soloist with separate musical organizations. He played and/or recorded with various diverse groups including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; The Lyric Opera of Chicago; The Moody Blues; Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Blood, Sweat and Tears; The Bavarian Radio Symphony, Tony Brown and the Landing Crew; Preservation Hall Jazz Band and others. He played backup for Sinatra, Streisand, Arlo Guthrie, Count Basie and various classical artists on their stops in the Midwest. At the time of his passing he was playing tuba with The Madison Symphony, The Rockford Symphony, The Green Bay Symphony, The Milwaukee Festival City Symphony, and The Capitol City Band.
Paul's other interests included natural history and zoology. He even one time captured and handled rattlesnakes as part of a Wisconsin DNR wildlife relocation program. He said what his symphony colleagues didn't know was he was more concerned about the future of endangered species than the future of the tuba or symphonies. He combined both interests when he practiced outside. He admitted his oddest practice quarters may have been playing tuba on the shores of Horicon Marsh surrounded by hundreds of geese.
Paul is survived by sister, Judi Haugan Ryan; by nephews and niece, Noah, Henry and Lark Ryan; and by dear friend, Walter Marozick. Paul was predeceased by parents, Robert William and Dorothy Bach Haugan.
Memorial contributions in Paul's name can be made to The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin. We know he would love to think that a small piece of the nature he loved was being preserved in his name as a way to honor his memory.
