Mr. Paola began his music studies at age 7 with Boris Borgstrum. At age 14, he was the youngest member of Mr. Borgstrum's 1st place World Championship Ensemble - "International Music League" World Championship Medal winners at "Cedar Point" (Sandusky, Ohio, U.S.A.).

In 1968, under the direction of Professor Matteo Glinsky, Mr. Paola was a percussionist with the "Niagara Symphony Orchestra" in it's premier public performance.

During his high school years, he went on to play electronic keyboards with rock bands "Hideous Dream" and his own group, "OPUS".

In 1971, Mr. Paola was chosen in a province-wide search as a member of "Summersounds '71". For 6 weeks, this government selected and sponsored 40 member group travelled throughout the province of Ontario. Performances highlights included : "National Arts Centre", (Ottawa), and the "Canadian National Exhibition". "Summersounds '71" performed their final tour date at "Ontario Place" (Toronto) to close out that attraction's inaugural season. Other members of this musical group included Juno Award winner Lisa Dalbello ("Dalbello"), Canadian recording artist Doug Cameron and Rock Music critic and author Steve Ostick.

Mr. Paola graduated "President's Honour Roll of Scholars" with a "Bachelor of Music" degree from the "University of Windsor", where he studied conducting with James Tambourini, composition under Dr. Jens Hanson and Dr. Paul McIntyre and piano with David Palmer and Dr. Gregory Butler. Mr. Paola also holds a "Bachelor of Education" degree from "Queen's University" at Kingston.

In 1977, Mr. Paola was conductor of the "Windsor-Teutonia Club Orchestra" and in that same year, was on the MacLean-Hunter Cable Television System, (Niagara Region), in a full feature solo performance program of works by Haydn, Bartok, Satie and his own compositions, originally published by "Berandol Music Ltd." and now printed by his own publishing firm "Significant Music" ®™.

For nearly 20 years, his "Flute Piece", originally selected by world reknown flutist, Robert Aiken, has continued to be a test piece for solo flute performance in competition during the "Alliance of Contemporary Canadian Music Showcase".

Mr. Paola has also taught piano privately for more than 25 years and has directed Concert Band and Stage Band music for the "Metro Separate School Board", "Essex County Board of Education", "East York Board of Education", "Scarborough Board of Education" and for the "Ministry of Education and Culture", Government of the Bahamas.

Outside of Canada, Mr. Paola was music columnist and regular contributor to the "Bahamas T.V. Weekly & People Magazine" (1979-80) and has performed, conducted or had original compositions played in the United States, the Bahamas, Jamaica and Italy. Performances have ranged from conducting at the Vatican for His Holiness Pope John Paul II (in 1989 and 1991), to leading a group of high school students in performance for the late Canadian comedian John Candy.

Currently, Mr. Paola is Director of Instrumental Music at "Notre Dame High School" and "Neil McNeil High School". He is also an active member of A.T.N. ("Affiliate Teachers' Network" - ["Royal Conservatory of Music"]), O.R.M.T.A. ("Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association") and SOCAN ("Society of Composers, Authors & Music Publishers of Canada").

In 1995, "Significant Music" ®™ was responsible for the Music Copy of "Believe In Me", a Year 7 catechetical resource book produced by the "National Office of Religious Education of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops", (Ottawa).

To commemorate 500th Anniversary celebrations in Conflenti, Italy (1496-1996), Mr. Paola was commissioned to create a Concert Band arrangement of "Della Quercia". Today, this work is widely recognized for it's use as a Hymn of Peace, Hymn of Hope.

Since 1996, Mr. Paola has been involved with a number of co-sponsored programs celebrating positive youth initiatives. Programs include the successful "Significant Music®™ Piano Competition" (twice cited in "Keyboard Magazine" and receiving notice from as far as Russia.) His "In Tacit Understanding : One Community Under the same Sky" showcase of Young Artists Against Hate/Crime Activities received a Roy C. Hill Award from Canadian Teachers' Federation"in recognition of the initiative and professional enterprise displayed in the development and successful application of an important educational innovation".

In 2000, two original works from "Lux In Tenebris: La Commedia di Dante -Cantica I : Canto I (lost in a dark wood)", "Cantica III : Canto XXXIII (Dante Beholds the Universe)" were included in the detailed analysis section of "Dante and Music", Dr. Maria Ann Roglieri, Ashgate Press, Aldershot, England, Chapter 2, pp. 29-34.