Artists:Randy Granger

New Mexico musician Randy Granger blends Native American flute music, Singer-Songwriter, Hang Drum and percussion into a unique style of music called "Southwest Americana." It is fitting that this native of the American Southwest would be influenced by the ancient cultures and landscapes seeped in mysticism, history and characters ranging from Geronimo, Billy the Kid, Georgia O’Keefe and hard scrabble settlers. Born during a thunderstorm in a small Oil-field boom town on the Llano Estacado in the south east part of New Mexico where Pumpjacks, Mesquites and Oil Derricks dot the jagged landscapes. The Llano is one of the largest and most completely flat areas of its size in the world.is Oil field Roughnecks mixed with Mexican Migrant workers and a large African American community all influencing him. He advanced in music early on. In fact, his sister and cousins were his earliest fans claiming he had such a beautiful cry as a baby they would hesitate for him to stop.

Like most natural musicians Granger showed a quick aptitude for music early in life. For entertainment he would read and reread the entire Encyclopedia Britannica as a child. This undoubtedly stirred a great interest to explore the world. Singing for his father, a general contractor, and his crew on the long stretches of road of eastern New Mexico, west Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma before age five the workers had their favorite requests. A chance purchase of a 50-cent pair of drumsticks led to a used drum kit and eventually band in junior high where he excelled. Awards, scholarships, leadership positions and eventually work as a private percussion teacher as well as a private guitar instructor for the Yamaha School of Music sparked the idea to make a living at music. Nothing in Granger’s experience, upbringing or exposure in the small oil-field town led him to believe it was possible. However, he persevered and got work as a pit musician, paid vocalist, soloist and percussionist performing at both Disney World and Disneyland. He has been a principal singer with Opera Southwest, La Zarzuela de Albuquerque, a paid choir member and soloist at churches and delivering singing telegrams for a florist.

A prolific songwriter he has written well over three-hundred songs. He has toured with his own Alternative Rock bands Two Fields Burning and The Peat Column and as a solo artist. A consummate DIY artist he has self-released numerous albums, four being under his Dogsense Music label as well doing his own booking, promotion, press, engineering and production and driving. In the fall of 2004 he bought his first Native American flute. He has performed solo Native American flute music at many festivals, in concerts, at schools, in Hospice and at the Zion Canyon Native American Flute and Art Festival in Utah as well as winning 2nd place at the Musical Echoes Native American flute festival in Florida. He released "Cloudwalker" and "Winter Colors" both albums of flute music in 2006. Both CD’s have received critical recognition including two Native American Music Awards nominations and several New Mexico Music Industry Awards nominations. He has fans and listeners worldwide through an active Internet presence, performing, touring and as a workshop presenter.

In 2006 Granger heard the mesmerizing Hang drum by the Swiss company PANArt. That year he had a Hang and soon incorporated it into his music. He knew as a percussionist and trained musician he could make expressive and unique music. It has been a good match with videos, sales, workshop and performance invitations all over the US. In 2007 Granger was profiled on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” as part of the Soundclip series. The extended feature titled “Like Water Over Bells” led to an increased awareness of the difficult to acquire Hang. In 2008 he released “The Roswell Incident” a CD where every song is centered around the Hang.

Granger and his music are the subject of print and Internet articles, Public and Community Radio and video on YouTube including a feature on his music and life by the New Mexico Music Commission on KOAT Albuquerque. See the video Southwest Sounds . His weekly blogs on MySpace and Blogspot are read by hundreds each week and his YouTube videos have been viewed by hundreds of thousands and have over 200 subscribers. His music is used in films, documentaries, for websites and soundtracks. Many Non-Profit documentary film makers contact him to use his music.

While he has always worked as musician some jobs have been colorful like delivering singing telegrams and flowers, performing chair massage at a Wild Oats store, monitoring Urinalysis tests for Federal Parolees at a substance abuse treatment center, working seven years as a simulated patient for a Medical School, a Nursing School and a Physical Therapy School, a one-year stint as a Blood Drive organizer and being a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1991. Randy earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.