BY GINNY RAUE
WEST MILFORD — West Milford resident Morgan Paul has a self-made mobile stage as well as a “man cave” in his back yard. It’s in the cave that he writes his music and his family knows not to disrupt the creative process unless it’s “broken, bleeding or burning,” he said. Sometimes he gets his inspiration in the middle of the night, and by the next day he’s in his studio putting it to music.
Paul has spent many years in the music industry. He’s a singer, song writer and performer whose songs reach out to the adult, whether they be songs about mature love, relationships, peace, brotherhood, the state of the world or the need for humankind to be, well, human-kind.
His music speaks to the joy of being alive, the valleys of despair that some find themselves in, his Christian faith and the fact that we can all play a part in helping our fellow man; the down trodden, the troubled vet, the homeless, the poor. He stages Concerts for the Caring, one was held this August at Bubbling Springs in West Milford. Through the Regional Disaster Relief Fund, donations of food and money from concert-goers help lift the burden in local communities.
I have windows
“When you’re invisible
No one wants to know you
They all see right through you
Like you weren’t there
No one really cares
Little children stare
Too long
When you’re invisible.” (“I Have Windows” by Morgan Paul)
“I Have Windows” is a song about William, a real man, a Viet Nam veteran whose harrowing experiences as a “tunnel rat” during the war changed his life. On his return to his country, he suffered the hatred of some and fell into drugs and alcohol, becoming homeless. For years he lived under a staircase in a cardboard box with just a tiny opening to see the world outside.
After years William turned the corner with the help of good people and found himself living in transition housing. His joy comes from being “visible” again and having real windows so that he can look out onto a beautiful world that he had been missing, a world that cares about him, and a world of possibilities.
“The message is that the homeless are regular people, nice people. They just need a little help,” Paul said.
Building bridges
Paul has experience in the world of fund raising as well as the arts. He worked for United Way and has written songs for the Alzheimer’s Association as well as Eva’s Village in Paterson.
“There’s a frustration in trying to change the world that’s half-way around the world. There are people in Paterson in poverty," said Paul. "I want to get the people in West Milford to pay attention to what’s going on down there, to make bridges between people. It’s about trust in Morgan Paul Ministries, we have a wonderful system to show you next year what we did last year.”
He wants to get into his audience’s hearts, to get them to feel the need, to join the brotherhood of man.
“We go our way, everyday
Just trying to make our pay
Often times, we don’t see
Got no time for sympathy
I have a dream, in my heart
That we don’t have to live apart
That one day, we’ll all be
Living in perfect harmony (“Live United” by Morgan Paul)
For more information on volunteer opportunities or planning a Concert for the Caring, e-mail Morgan Paul at concertforthecaring@hotmail.com.
Have you been to one of Paul's concerts? Tell us what you think of his mission at westmilfordmessenger.com.