Female steeler on ACL

Mike Holder · Post by **Mike Holder** » 22 Feb 2022 6:00 am

It wasn’t a video, it’s a “live” performance ! So it’s not a prop and she’s playing it and guitar and is in a band touring the world playing all original music and parts and quite well I might add. Why does this seem so controversial on this post?

James Sission · Post by **James Sission** » 22 Feb 2022 6:13 am

Mike Holder wrote:It wasn’t a video, it’s a “live” performance ! So it’s not a prop and she’s playing it and guitar and is in a band touring the world playing all original music and parts and quite well I might add. Why does this seem so controversial on this post? Lift your head up this weekend at your VFW gig while you’re struggling through the solo on “Don’t Rock The Jukebox” and think about it. Good thing she wasn’t wearing a Covid mask!.. lol!

Absolutely. Some of these guys in this thread are why there are no young steel players on the forum. One of the critics on this thread has a YouTube video where he's on one side of a singer and tele player on the other. You can hardly hear the singer through the blaring crossfire between the two while they play right over him. This lady is playing gig that I doubt anyone posting here has played. Her playing was appropriate for the song and was in tune.

___

Gary Newcomb · Post by **Gary Newcomb** » 22 Feb 2022 9:21 am

Spot on, Marc & Mike!

Johnny Cox · Post by **Johnny Cox** » 22 Feb 2022 10:39 am

Opinions are like, well you know.

Steven Hicken Jr. · Post by **Steven Hicken Jr.** » 22 Feb 2022 1:58 pm

When I read the earlier comments on here I was expecting some wildly out of tune steel. After watching the video, I like it. Arianna has done well. The steel fits the music nicely and got an airing on the camera in places.

It is definitely more of a Pop/Americana tone but I've heard a lot, lot worse...you should see the frown on my face when I listen back to the intonation of my gigs.

Some people here won't like it but her fans were asking what the instrument was in the YouTube comments and that's what really matters to grow the instrument. Us young players need support to get it out there. Some like me are country music fanatics but there are others doing really well at getting unconventional steel sounds out there into the mainstream.

Mitch Ellis · Post by **Mitch Ellis** » 22 Feb 2022 9:19 pm

b0b wrote: Perhaps more young female guitarists will see it and realize that you don't have to be a monster steeler like Megan Lovell or Sarah Jory to make it to the big concert stages on steel. You just need to play well enough to fit the song.

That's a good point, b0b. The skill level needed to play steel in a band now is not as high as it used to be. The steel players from the old days played more complicated things while they were tuning up than what is needed in an entire gig with most bands these days. It sometimes makes me wonder if there's even any point in practicing.

Mitch

Marc Jenkins · Post by **Marc Jenkins** » 22 Feb 2022 10:46 pm

Mitch Ellis wrote:
b0b wrote: Perhaps more young female guitarists will see it and realize that you don't have to be a monster steeler like Megan Lovell or Sarah Jory to make it to the big concert stages on steel. You just need to play well enough to fit the song.
That's a good point, b0b. The skill level needed to play steel in a band now is not as high as it used to be. The steel players from the old days played more complicated things while they were tuning up than what is needed in an entire gig with most bands these days. It sometimes makes me wonder if there's even any point in practicing.

Mitch

There is still a need for rippers. Modern music, and the instruments used, covers a wider spectrum. The pedal steel is used in a wider variety of circumstances than ever before. I fail to see what’s wrong here.

Lee Gauthier · Post by **Lee Gauthier** » 22 Feb 2022 11:03 pm

As a younger steel play it can be a bit disheartening to see these kinda opinions. It's the more americana/ambient stuff that probably drew me in to the instrument to start with. And, tho I've long been a fan of country music the chickin' pickin' stuff didn't really grab me compared to the ballads even if I like both styles of song. I'm coming around a bit on that after seeing the '89 Waylon Jennings ACL appearance with Ralph Mooney Wow. I wasn't even aware of ACL before this thread so... thanks for turning me on to that.

I see just as many comments bashing steel players for doing too much "just play the damn melody already". But when a young person keeps it simple and fits the song it's "the old timers could out play these new folks in their sleep" (probably true). Coming from bass land I could do all kinda Jaco fills or funk 16ths on everything but just playing roots with a good groove is the right thing to do 90% of time.

All that said, I'm not trying to point at anyone specifically here necessarily, just musing and thinking about some salty 10 year old comments on steel guitar youtube videos. The vibe here is pretty good here overall to be honest, at least enough that it's the only place on the internet I bother to post anything publicly other than the occasional dog photo on instagram.

Lee Gauthier · Post by **Lee Gauthier** » 22 Feb 2022 11:11 pm

Love the point about still needing rippers. Who is gonna be the modern steel guitar Ichika Nito or Charles Berthoud?

Mitch Ellis · Post by **Mitch Ellis** » 23 Feb 2022 5:53 am

Marc and Lee,
Both of you make some good points that I agree with. I read my post again this morning and it did sound a bit discouraging

and I apologize for that. The female steel player on ACL did a good job. She played something that fit the song (in my opinion) and as a musician in a band, that's her job. I'm sure she has much more talent as a steel player than what we can see in this one clip.

Lee Gauthier wrote: The vibe here is pretty good here overall to be honest, at least enough that it's the only place on the internet I bother to post anything publicly

Me too. I feel the same way. I very seldom go to any other forum.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 23 Feb 2022 7:52 am

She played what fit the song pretty well.. However, I can't help but wonder if she gets this gig, if she's 60, overweight, and was never much of a looker, but has the same musical ability...

Crass? indeed it is,but lets face it, thats what matters most to a lot of todays performers.... bob

admin · Post by **b0b** » 23 Feb 2022 8:32 am

Bob Carlucci wrote:She played what fit the song pretty well.. However, I can't help but wonder if she gets this gig, if she's 60, overweight, and was never much of a looker, but has the same musical ability...

Crass? indeed it is,but lets face it, thats what matters most to a lot of todays performers.... bob

I think that her amazing talent as a guitarist is the main reason she's in demand for tours with various artists. That "same musical ability" is pretty rare. Appearance does matter for acts like this, though. Notice that it's an all-female band. A male guitarist would not qualify for the gig, no matter how talented.

I suspect that she's new to pedal steel and that this is her first outing on the instrument. Given her track record, I hope to hear a lot more from her in the coming years. It's always good news when a virtuoso guitarist takes up steel. Imagine this on pedal steel: https://youtu.be/RL1ZPvcV1DU

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 23 Feb 2022 11:41 am

I started this thread and I sure didn't expect it to be anywhere near controversial. From time to time I see posts asking about female steelers and I thought maybe someone here might know her and have seen her play in person.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 23 Feb 2022 4:45 pm

b0b wrote:
I suspect that she's new to pedal steel and that this is her first outing on the instrument. Given her track record, I hope to hear a lot more from her in the coming years. It's always good news when a virtuoso guitarist takes up steel. Imagine this on pedal steel: https://youtu.be/RL1ZPvcV1DU

Yes, she's new, evidenced by the fact her chops on straight guitar far surpass her pedal steel talents. (And she is more appealing than the fat old guys in the T-shirts and cutoffs that typify what so many over-the-hill pedal steelers wear.

)

And I can imagine that song on pedal steel, but feel the general audience reaction would be "So what?". (But, that type of stuff always amazes me whenever I see it done on pedal steel; it's kind of like hearing Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" played on a Kalimba or Ocarina.)

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 24 Feb 2022 5:55 am

The beauty of the internet is that we get to hear any music we could ever possibly imagine.
The tragedy of it is we have to read everyone’s opinion on it.

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 24 Feb 2022 6:53 am

I don't see it that way, Mike. Being oversensitive to criticism can actually interfere with your progress. Learning what people like and don't like is as much an adventure as traveling to a new place. Some things will fascinate and entertain us, and others will disappoint and discourage us. But through it all, we learn. Understand that universal praise and acceptance is just not real-world, there will always be those who agree and disagree, those who like what we do and those who don't like what we do. But criticism makes us grow, it makes us really think about what we're doing and why we're doing it.

Criticism is something we can avoid easily, by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.

Aristotle

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 24 Feb 2022 7:23 am

Donny, that's fine if you are the artist. As another listener, I really don't care what someone else's opinion is.

Sensitivity to criticism does get in the way of creativity, I agree with that. But criticism itself is anti-creativity. As an artist, you are the critic along with the other participants. Even then, your own internal criticism can become a serious blockade.

No one knows what the goal is better than the artists themselves. For me personally, if it isn't something that people understand or enjoy, I can't control that and I am certainly not going to change because of it. That is a choice I've made after many years in music.

I can think of examples on this forum alone who have persevered through unwarranted slings and arrows for daring to follow their own path, and through this perseverance emerged as complete artists, in spite of the criticism. The criticism only strengthened the resolve, but did cause pain.

Samuel Phillippe · Post by **Samuel Phillippe** » 24 Feb 2022 7:34 am

Mike Neer wrote:Donny, that's fine if you are the artist. As another listener, I really don't care what someone else's opinion is.

No one knows what the goal is better than the artists themselves. For me personally, if it isn't something that people understand or enjoy, I can't control that and I am certainly not going to change because of it. That is a choice I've made after many years in music.

Mike I somewhat agree to this. It is my feeling that I know what I want to, and how to do.....BUT the people pay for what they want, so we sometimes have to accept their not liking what we are doing and sway to their style OR don't play.

Criticisim is natural for those relating it but not so for us that are receiving it.

Me I play what i like with very rare exceptions and i mean RARE.

Let's all keep our style, like it not by others, and enjoy ourselves. Time moves on and so do we......

Sam

Eric Duarte · Post by **Eric Duarte** » 24 Feb 2022 8:06 am

I really liked Arianna Powell’s playing. That’s super cool seeing a young lady steel player on ACL.

Bruce Bouton · Post by **Bruce Bouton** » 25 Feb 2022 5:34 pm

I'm incredibly disheartened by some of the posts I see on here.Reminds me of the days when everyone attacked Robert Randolph for playing and looking the way he did. I can't believe that someone would insinuate that this young lady got the gig because she was young and beautiful. Give me a break. My observation was that she played what was called for in the tune. She played a few things i never would have thought of . It gave me some ideas to use in the studio. Is she a great steel player ? Not yet ,but apparently she's a great musician. She'll get better on the on the instrument. The hardest thing about steel is playing in tune and getting good tone. I hear records that I've done that make me cringe over my intonation but The longer i've played , the better my tuning.
Back to my rant. I just think it's interesting that so many folks can sit behind their computer and opine about the musical ecosystem without any real world experience. Not sure how or why , but I'm still working as a steel guitar player. I think part of the reason is that I try to keep my mind open to change. It's pretty cool to be able to record with 25 year olds that dont know anything about "hwy 40 Blues' but do know that they love the instrument. We have to encourage young players. Some of these posts do anything but.

Ron Funk · Post by **Ron Funk** » 25 Feb 2022 6:05 pm

I whole - heartedly second Bruce Bouton's post.

I've had my DVR (and VCR prior to that) routinely set to record 'ACL' for decades, looking not only for music that might agree with my personal preferences,

but also for acts that incorporate pedal steel guitar into new genres of music.

All PSG exposure is a good thing.

Bob Bestor · Post by **Bob Bestor** » 25 Feb 2022 9:11 pm

A lot of grumpy old men on this thread.

Marc Jenkins · Post by **Marc Jenkins** » 25 Feb 2022 11:18 pm

Thank you for speaking up Bruce.

Bob Carlucci · Post by **Bob Carlucci** » 26 Feb 2022 11:57 am

Bruce Bouton wrote:I'm incredibly disheartened by some of the posts I see on here.Reminds me of the days when everyone attacked Robert Randolph for playing and looking the way he did. I can't believe that someone would insinuate that this young lady got the gig because she was young and beautiful. Give me a break. My observation was that she played what was called for in the tune. She played a few things i never would have thought of . It gave me some ideas to use in the studio. Is she a great steel player ? Not yet ,but apparently she's a great musician. She'll get better on the on the instrument. The hardest thing about steel is playing in tune and getting good tone. I hear records that I've done that make me cringe over my intonation but The longer i've played , the better my tuning.
Back to my rant. I just think it's interesting that so many folks can sit behind their computer and opine about the musical ecosystem without any real world experience. Not sure how or why , but I'm still working as a steel guitar player. I think part of the reason is that I try to keep my mind open to change. It's pretty cool to be able to record with 25 year olds that dont know anything about "hwy 40 Blues' but do know that they love the instrument. We have to encourage young players. Some of these posts do anything but.

Sorry you disagree Bruce but truth IS truth... My statement is correct.. I said she could cut the gig,and her playing was fine, and appropriate for the music.. However, I still say she was there as much for her looks as for her playing... It happens all the time and you as a pro should know that better than anyone else on the forum.. Reality is reality. I can recall many instances over the years of GREAT players that were world class talents that sat home while younger more attractive musicians of both sexes were touring up a storm.. Surprised that you think that this is not a part of today's music business.. I meant NO disrespect, but facts are facts.. See my comment on the Herby Wallace thread... Its time to face reality.. Looks matter to many of todays young performers, and they would not get caught dead with an old, fat, unattractive musician beside them onstage.. To think otherwise is very naive'.... bob

Lee Gauthier · Post by **Lee Gauthier** » 26 Feb 2022 11:01 pm

Your not wrong that image is very important in today's music for both men and women. No idea when that shifted to that or even if it did, it's certainly been that way as long as I've been an artist. It does raise a question tho. All things equal, and image being just as important for men on a gig, why does it only ever seem to be discussed when it's a young woman in question? I'd love to be proven wrong on this point.