Introducing STEEL RESOLVE, steel guitar nonprofit

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 30 Aug 2016 1:47 pm

Well, I do see some parallels. It might make for 1 1/2 times the effort, not double. I just started looking into crowdfunding for a completely separate issue, and then for an entirely separate issue than that, a few months back I dug up my old grant proposal templates. I just don't think you'd want to close off ANY specific doors. What sorts of proposals might you have for Fender, Ibanez, Schecter, PRS and Gibson? OR career aspects? For example, both John Mayer and Annie Clark (St. Vincent) went to Berklee School of Music with a personal focus on the business aspects of "monetizing yourself." I don't know if high schools are still SO strangled with the "teaching to the test" maxim necessitated by certain decrees of standardization - but I'm under the impression that's lifting.

I've always thought it bizarre you can come out of high-school math classes and know trigonometry but not how to do your taxes as either an individual or business, or double-entry bookeeping? IS a class or curriculum on "math for musicians" even legally a possibility? That's the "inclusive" type of thing with which you can wave the word "employability" at people - the ones who are trying to decide WHICH grant proposals to fund? ooooo... I'm an old coot as rich/poor as I'll ever be, but when I read interviews with young musicians there are these already-made "monetization platforms" - I have no idea what half of them are, but they do.

And I've seen any number of ads for "degrees" in recording engineering that you'd have to check out supply & demand real carefully before you paid, but: as high school internships at local recording studions? Couldn't hurt to ask. It couldn't hurt to remain open for stuff - even way back when I was there, so much of high school seemed liked an utter waste of time - what couldn't be better?

Steven Hicken Jr. · Post by **Steven Hicken Jr.** » 31 Aug 2016 1:50 am

It's a great idea and I'd like to congratulate you!
I'd certainly like to see some more youngsters, I've been researching for a while trying to find younger players and a search has turned up a good amount. A good number of them are very good and some have even turned into good friendships, which is crazy because none of us have ever met.

Joe Naylor wrote:I know there are many young players around. Many think that it is dying.

I just sold a seat to a 15 year old and yesterday to a 16 year old. Last week I shipped a seat to Europe to a young man that is 16 also. He is taking Skype lessons from someone, maybe in Europe because of the language. There are a lot more out there than most know.

Saying all that, I agree with anything that gets more people playing.

Joe Naylor
www.steelseat.com

I'd like to hear some names Joe! I don't think I've seen a 16 year old fellow European, only European I know is Mathew Jut.
Would certainly like to hear names so I could then put names to faces.

Sounds promising and I hope this works out for you Josh!

Steven Jr.

Stephen Williams · Post by **Stephen Williams** » 31 Aug 2016 10:07 pm

Steel sounds great on pop stuff like "Chandelier" and even "wrecking ball". This might interest younger folks more.

I Haven't gone completely off the deep end yet.....wrecking ball actually has beautiful chords and melodies.....the commercial version, like many, is pretty suspect but still happens with some steel in it.

Josh Killian · Post by **Josh Killian** » 16 Sep 2016 7:32 am

Steven Hicken wrote:It's a great idea and I'd like to congratulate you!
I'd certainly like to see some more youngsters, I've been researching for a while trying to find younger players and a search has turned up a good amount. A good number of them are very good and some have even turned into good friendships, which is crazy because none of us have ever met!

Sounds promising and I hope this works out for you Josh!

Steven Jr.

Thanks, Steven! Sorry it took awhile to respond.

The idea for this came from the wish that I had started earlier. The steel guitar changed my life and I was 37 the first time I touched the instrument. I can only dream what things would be like if I had started at 13.

I love hearing that there are more younger players around. Our job is to take away the obstacles that get in the way of their potential.

Nic Sanford · Post by **Nic Sanford** » 16 Sep 2016 12:56 pm

admin · Post by **b0b** » 5 Aug 2022 1:52 pm

This is an old post, and steelresolve.org no longer exists. Does anyone know how to reach Josh?

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 5 Aug 2022 2:47 pm

Bob and Forum Mates: I'm the best contact for Steel Resolve. The project is currently on hiatus, while we regroup, refocus and try to create a viable business model to move us forward.

The Steel Resolve mission is to provide startup assistance to young steel players. Anyone with ideas or time and energy to assist please email me.

This effort requires a village of people eager to see younger generations carry the pedal steel into the future, even if it isn't classic country music.

The founder Josh Killian had to bow out due to changing personal situations.

John McClung
steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net

Bill McCloskey · Post by **Bill McCloskey** » 5 Aug 2022 5:02 pm

I wish there was something like this for music in general. When I was a kid we all learned to play an instrument in grade school. I learned FACE and Every Good Boy Does Fine in the second or third grade. Music was taught along with reading and writing as a natural part of every kids education. Those days are long long long gone and we are not the better for it.

Sounds like a laudable idea, but has a number of fundamental problems, including cost, weight, lack of standardized tuning and teaching methods, plus a very serious lack of role models to inspire. Sacred Steel has about the closest thing that exists today for a generational and inspirational continuation of steel guitar.

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 6 Aug 2022 10:38 am

Bill McCloskey wrote:I wish there was something like this for music in general. When I was a kid we all learned to play an instrument in grade school. I learned FACE and Every Good Boy Does Fine in the second or third grade. Music was taught along with reading and writing as a natural part of every kids education. Those days are long long long gone and we are not the better for it.

Sounds like a laudable idea, but has a number of fundamental problems, including cost, weight, lack of standardized tuning and teaching methods, plus a very serious lack of role models to inspire. Sacred Steel has about the closest thing that exists today for a generational and inspirational continuation of steel guitar.

All very valid points, Bill, and many are why we had difficulty getting traction and even cooperation from players, builders and regional clubs. V2 of Steel Resolve will hopefully surmount those issues.