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 sparking a deep curiosity that continues. Forgoing pre-school he traveled with his father, a general contractor, and his crew on the long stretches of road of eastern New Mexico, west Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. When the Country stations were out of range he would sing for them--every song he knew. A 50-cent pair of drumsticks, his brother's KISS music and a hand-me-down drum kit lit the fire for drums. Awards, scholarships, and 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. A band director planted the idea in his mind and he began to charge for all the weddings, parties and funerals he was already working for free since about age 10. He 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 and the usual private parties, banquets even performing in the Ms. New Mexico pageants as a singer and dancer.
PAYING DUES
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. Slogging it out in bars, clubs, weddings, funerals, on military bases, festivals, every ubiquitous type of gig musicians endure complete with drunk soundmen, psycho club owners, shifty bouncers, fights with other bands and the ever present Coffee Barrista's frothing milk. As a solo artist he's opened for other acts including The Laura Love Band and singing in the Foreigner choir in a show for the song "I Wanna Know What Love Is." In leaner times he has made a home in his car and done the crashing on sofas till the welcome wears out routine.
THE NATIVE FLUTE JOURNEY
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. The New Mexico Music Commission produced a short feature on his flute music. He performed for the Gila Cliff Dwelling's Centennial Celebration in 2007. He is on the compilation CD "Clearwater" produced by the International Native American and World Flute Association along with R. Carlos Nakai, Coyote Oldman, Peter Phippen, Joseph FIrecrow, Bill Miller and many other internationally known and Grammy winning recording artists. He has shared the stage with R. Carlos Nakai, Ken Light, Michael Graham Allen, Peter Phippen, Skip Healey and others. He is a popular workshop presenter and performer and major Native American flute festivals and much more.
THE HANG DRUM STORY
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.
A WORKING MUSICIAN
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 music is heard on many Public Radio Stations around the country as well as on many podcasts, community and satellite programs like Soundscapes, Hearts of Space, NativeRadio.com, Audiosyncracy, KUNM Native Wire, KXCI "Brainwaves" and many more. His music is charted #12 on the New Age Reporter charts. "A Place Called Peace" is nominated by broadcaster's worldwide for an "NAR Lifestyle Award" as "Best Native American Album" on NewAgeReporter.com the reporting and charting agency for this genre. The song "Za Zee Za Zu Zing" received an "honorable mention" in the Peace Driven Songwriting award. His song "Chaco Moon Meditation" made him a finalist in the Great American Song Contest 2008 from over 1,500 songwriters around the world, GASC Judges selected an outstanding group of 45 Winners & 100 Finalists. His weekly blogs on MySpace and Blogspot "This Musician's Life" are read by hundreds each week and his YouTube videos have been viewed by nearly 800,000 and has over nearly subscribers. His Facebook fan page is growing.
His music is used in films, documentaries, for websites and soundtracks. Many Non-Profit documentary film makers contact him to use his music. The International Wolf Center has used his music for some of their educational and promotional materials. The NMSU Dance program commissioned an original composition which premiered in October 2008. He has composed radio intro music as well. He is on a fundraising CD titled "Peace Begins at Home" produced for La Casa a shelter and program for abused women and children.
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. He is a published poet and has work in “El Ojito,” “Lunarosity,” “Las Cruces Poets and Writers,” and “The Tamara Journal.” Radio programs such as Hearts of Space, Native Radio,
Like many southwest inhabitants he is a Mestizo or a “Mix” of ancestry and cultures. Through a DNA test it was revealed his specific Native ancestry as Chol, (one of the former Mayan peoples), Apache, Athabascan and Dogrib. View the DNA results here. Since he can’t locate his specific ancestors on the Dawes Rolls he doesn't’ claim a tribe. Though he explains at his shows it is in his heart where all of his ancestors meet—and that is where the music is made. Through DNA testing he followed his ancestral line back to India, an ironic discovery.
Granger makes his home in the Mesilla Valley of southwestern New Mexico 1/2 mile from the Rio Grande River in Las Cruces, the state's second largest city after Albuquerque where he grows Pecans, herbs and enjoys photography and feeding the Roadrunner who sleeps on the porch.
TIDBITS:
Some lesser know facts about Randy is that he always travels with a bottle of hot sauce, usually Tabasco's Habanero and Aleve to treat his much too early onset and serious arthritis. He adopts Rescue Greyhounds. He won first place in a "Vegetarian Times" recipe contest with a version of Fajitas made of Tempeh. He has sold photos to the Associated Press. He has an herb garden and cooks lavish meals for friends. He plays most Thanksgivings at a homeless kitchen as well as at Hospice. He often Busks at grower's markets when at home or on the road to keep his chops up and learn what songs are working and not. He is a member of the Gallup Panel and takes many surveys. He overcame many years of a debilitating speech impediment of stuttering and stammering so severely he couldn't answer the telephone. He suffered from severe acne through his teen years which was finally cured by the drug Acutane though it nearly killed him. He is a serious "Foodie" and researches where to eat when touring.
