In college, Paul studied Classical Flute (Charles DeLaney) and Jazz Saxophone (Bill Kennedy) at Florida State University, and by his senior year sat in the coveted lead alto chair in the top FSU Jazz Ensemble. After college, Paul moved to Los Angeles to begin his career as a progressive rock saxophonist and flutist. Paul’s passion for saxophone sound lead him to the world of saxophone repair where he apprenticed under Oleg and Manny at The Horn Connection in Los Angeles. A full time repair gig at Stein on Vine took his repair skills to another level. He was soon known in Los Angeles as “The Repairman to the Stars”, doing tech work for such notables as Wayne Shorter, Wallace Roney, Edgar Winter, Big Jay McNeely, Wilton Felder, Red Holloway, Gerald Albright, Najee, and Jackiem Joyner.

Upon relocating to the Bay Area, Paul’s shop is currently based in San Jose ensuring that high end woodwind repair is available for clients of all levels. As a full time professional musician, Paul stays busy playing in bands such as A Touch of Brass Big Band, East Side Funk, The StinkFoot Orchestra, his own quartet The Paul Degen Project, in addition to other professional, freelance settings. Paul maintains a private teaching studio of thirty plus students a week for all woodwind instruction where teaches the next generation of the brightest young musicians.