I'm with Don, I think people will take up the steel if they are exposed to it, and if it speaks to their heart. Problem is, it's sort of non-existent on the airwaves and in videos. Perhaps the new iBoob-Tube web sites will help a little?
Why do people what to play an instrument anyway? What's the payoff? When I was 12 I wanted to play the guitar to impress girls and get dates... it was during that period of time in the dark past that Gerald lovingly refers to as the 'folk scare'
Then it was 60's rock and roll guitar to impress girls and get dates. When I finally got laid, then I started to worry less about being cool and I started to listen to music!
I found the steel later in life. I joined HSGA in my 40's, I was a real newbie - but everyone made me feel welcome, especially Mr. Ross and Doug Smith. I've come to know many other HSGA folks and consider them friends - it's a wonderful event and I hope ya'all come. Learning steel has been an incredible journey for me and I hope to continue for many years.
I'd like to hear more than just Hawaiian tunes at HSGA too. Not pedal steel, there are other shows that cover that. But I love to hear some great blues, jazz, country etc. , there's so much good stuff the non-pedal instrument is capable of. Last year I think we had a country and bluegrass jam one evening, it was great.
I try and promote steel locally as best I can. I play pedal steel in a few bands, and lap steel in a couple of bands, and teach when needed. When the younger folks see and hear it they love it! I rarely get students from the younger generation however - don't know why. It's still not hip (or hip hop) I guess? But mostly, because it's not audible, or visible.
So, I also do a local radio show on our non-profit public radio station called "Steel Guitar Jam" (
www.krfcfm.org) every week. I play all kinds of steel music: pedal, lap, Hawaiian, C&W, rock, jazz, and other nouns and adjectives as well! Check it out online. More info at
www.myspace.com/steelguitarjam
Last week I played my bakelite on the air live! I talk history and try and educate the listeners as well as play kick ass steel that will grab their interest. Doing it since '04.
An interesting note about learning steel: I've been to the last 3 or 4 Hawaiian HSGA events in HNL. I used to live there and have some Hawaiian buddies. One local friend is trying to learn steel. He's had a really hard time trying to find a teacher! His feeling is that nobody wants to teach him because they'll generate competition, and add another player to the pool, therefore could loose there gig. There are not that many steel gigs there - or anywhere for that matter. If there were I'd be living on Kauai. (And I'd probably be the gig-less haole steel guy
Sound familiar? Slack Key faced a similar cultural blockade until the 70's. Early steelers on the mainland used to not share their tunings for fear of loosing a gig - Joaquine Murphy would de-tune his steel on breaks! More data - I know a pedal player in Germany who works at the Rattlesnake Saloon in Munich - they only get $100 a nite per man over there! So it's the same all over the world. Nobody's getting rich at playing steel, so why not share the knowledge! If it got more popular, perhaps we'd all get higher wages on the bandstand!
Every little thing helps I think.
c u in Joliet,
chris
I'm not gonna get there this year, but not because I don't want to. 
(too much on my plate this year) We have a good group running it right now, an that's why it seems to be getting better.
