Pedal Steel Is Dead

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 29 Aug 2010 6:53 pm

Not only is the pedal steel dying,live club music is dying!
Little by little, live club music is being replaced with DJ's, Karaoke, disco music,and sports on big screen TV's . Have you been to a disco lately? I have. Disco music is 100% computer programmed, with a vocalist on top. No instruments,no musicians! Now, musicians are doing house concerts,playing in super markets and book stores, just to stay afloat.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 29 Aug 2010 8:17 pm

Michael maybe you should move somewhere else - your obviously not appreciated in NJ !

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 30 Aug 2010 4:17 am

Hi Paddy,

That's good advice. Being a steel player in NJ, is like being a fish up a tree! I am moving out west or down south. It's just a matter of when. Thank you. Have a nice day.

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 30 Aug 2010 4:37 am

Hey Mike P,

I enjoyed your version of "Maria."

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 30 Aug 2010 8:37 am

Michael,
I'm afraid you will have the same problem finding gigs out west or south as you have in NJ. The problem is not lack of gigs. The problem is personal perspective. Think of it like this. A guitar player from the shredding school of playing in the 80's will find very few opportunities to play. There are very few gigs left where that sort of playing is called for. Does that mean that guitar is dead ?

There are hundreds of gigs available for steel players in the NYC/NJ area. Singer/songwriters, pop bands all sorts of things. The line dancers have evidently all marched across the North Atlantic to Belgium so there is not much need to know the solo from "All My Ex's" anymore but there is plenty of music that needs somebody to play it.

What I do is go out every night and see music I'm into. If somebody offers me a chance to play I say yes. I don't worry about the money or kind of music. I show up and play as well as I can and have fun playing. The money always seems to start showing up.

You live 2 miles from the greatest live music city in the country. Turn off the computer and TV and go have a beer at Banjo Jim's. You may not get a gig right away but at least you will have beer !

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 30 Aug 2010 9:44 am

Michael, I'm glad you like my recording, but I must tell you that you are not the target audience for my work. My goal is to introduce the steel to the classical music audience, and I'm starting to see some success. I'm now under contract to a record company that caters exclusively to that audience. These are people who have never even heard of Ray Price or Willie Nelson, let alone seen or heard a steel before. And when I have performed for those people, their reaction has been "What has been that instrument, I've never seen it before," or "I saw one on TV once but I didn't know what it's called, but it sounds lovely."

I refer you back to my first post on this thread, in which I mentioned Jim Webb's recent appearance on Letterman with Mike Johnson, and the new line up of Chrissie Hynde and the pretenders, with Eric Heywood on steel.

Think about that for a second. A well established band,an inductee in the rock and roll hall of fame, has added a pedal steel to their line-up. That is not insignificant.

It's use in country is diminishing, but at the same time, it is moving into new genres and finding new homes.

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 30 Aug 2010 10:42 am

Dead? I record in my studio several days a week; I seek new sounds, new applications, etc. I'm currently doing some things on steel from Clementi and Scarlatti.

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 30 Aug 2010 6:03 pm

I don't hear it diminishing in country music today at all. I do agree, it's finding homes in other types of music!

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 30 Aug 2010 8:29 pm

I agree with Theresa.

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 31 Aug 2010 9:35 am

Hey Bob,

Thanks for the advice,especially the part about the beer. I'm off the computer now.

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 31 Aug 2010 9:41 am

I'm glad steel is alive and well for all of you. How much money are you making as a steel player? I really don't expect an honest answer. As far as gigs go, steel is dead for me. Could be that people just don't like me and/or the way I play. Have a good one.

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 31 Aug 2010 10:23 am

Michael, MUSIC IS TOO PRECIOUS AND IMPORTANT TO BE NOTHING MORE THAN A WAY OF MAKING A FEW BUCKS!!!!

Music has to exist for its own sake, not merely as a source of income. If all being a musician means to you is getting gigs and making 50 bucks a night, you're in it for the wrong reason.

All but one of my performances with my classical music trio* have been freebies, yet I consider these to be the most rewarding musical experiences of my entire life. And the paid gig, playing at a wedding, netted me $200 for playing for half an hour, but was emotionally unsatisfying because the group was musical wallpaper and nobody was paying attention to us. (BTW, My "Bourrée" on Charles Tilly's wonderful site, www.etsga.org/steelguitarplayers.htm , is a live recording from one of our concerts.)

The experience of performing with the lady who put together the trio (her name is Carole Mukogawa- look her up,) in front of her fellow members of the L.A. Philharmonic and other peers who for the most part were unfamiliar with, and totally enthralled by the pedal steel guitar, and who did not talk during the performance, but actually paid careful attention to me while I was playing, is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.

At present, the trio has temporarily broken up because Carole and our cellist have other obligations and can't devote the time to it. We are planning to re-unite next spring for another concert.

* I call it "my trio" but it's really Carole's. She put it together, and invited me to be part of it. I consider that invitation to be the greatest honor I've ever received.

Edited for spelling errors and typos. I've GOT to start wearing my glasses

when I post.

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 31 Aug 2010 10:45 am

Everybody sing! Pedal steel is dead no no it's outside looking in. Apologies to the Moody Blues

Don D

Mike Perlowin · Post by **Mike Perlowin** » 31 Aug 2010 10:59 am

Speaking of the Moody Blues, have you all heard Jim Cohen's wonderful version of Knights In White Satin?

Barry Hyman · Post by **Barry Hyman** » 31 Aug 2010 11:34 am

Michael J -- I'm sorry I was so mean to you the other day; I had not seen that you had already apologized for the "Mrs. Franklin" wisecrack.

Honestly? I make maybe $4000 a year performing, 90% of that playing pedal steel. That's an estimate based on maybe 80 gigs a year at maybe an average of $50 each. (I play in an 8-piece band and no place around here can afford to pay much more than that.)

My income comes from teaching music; I perform for the fun of it. But I would never say that pedal steel is dead -- the reaction I get from audiences is truly heartwarming. People seem to love the tone of the instrument as much as I do. Good luck getting back to the fun part...

Travis Hillis · Post by **Travis Hillis** » 31 Aug 2010 12:06 pm

Just about every song I hear on country radio has steel. It maybe buried under rock-guitar solos but it is there...

It's anything but dead.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 31 Aug 2010 12:16 pm

I agree with Mike. The bottom line is: We should follow our hearts.

Mike, It sounds like you've been having exciting new musical experiences. Moments like that are priceless.

I'm working on a pedal steel project with just a bass player and a percussionist. It probably sounds boring to you guys but I'm stoked over it. If I don't make a penny from it, that's ok too. It's my music so I'm gonna to play it!

Michael J Pfeifer · Post by **Michael J Pfeifer** » 31 Aug 2010 12:19 pm

Hi Barry,

Apology accepted. I'm glad you are making $. Here, most club gigs are "pass the hat." Years ago,before websites, Paul was selling instruction tapes,and he had his ph# posted. I called and spoke with him and his mother!

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 31 Aug 2010 4:42 pm

Danny Bates: I have also been recording with acoustic bass and drums; I plan to include some selections on my next album. I have no real desire to re-organize my band, although it would be a blast, however, gone are the days when we played a 4 hr dance gig and people remained on the dance floor to keep their position it was so crowded. My steel remains a big teacher: every time I play, my fingers show me something new. The pedal steel is capable of so many things; and I feel I've only scratched the surface. (experimental) Jazz is my forte, but it's unfortunate that jazz is at its lowest public approval: 1.8%. Historically it has remained up there with Classical,c. 5 to 6%. Here in the Memphis area, BLUES is the order, probably due to its position in our history.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 31 Aug 2010 4:45 pm

Hugh, I'd be interested to hear some of your (experimental) jazz. Got anything you could send me by mp3?
Regards,
Jim

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 31 Aug 2010 9:04 pm

This one's gonna be all instrumental, original material recorded live.

I'll post some video on YouTube when it's done.

Jon Logan · Post by **Jon Logan** » 1 Sep 2010 5:34 am

Paul,,, you're absolutely right,,, The Timejumpers is food for the soul and I pigged out last Monday.. Thanks for a great perfomance and graciously spending a few minutes with me...
I play in Western AZ where a lot of snowbirds roost for the winter. Lots of requests for steel from them and the younger crowd.
Thanks again,, Jon

James Morehead · Post by **James Morehead** » 1 Sep 2010 6:12 am

Danny Bates wrote:
I'm working on a pedal steel project with just a bass player and a percussionist. It probably sounds boring to you guys but I'm stoked over it. If I don't make a penny from it, that's ok too. It's my music so I'm gonna to play it!

Danny, are you using the '67 fingertip on this project? I can imagine the clarity of the notes on the fingertip--each note like a bite of perfect steak seasoned "just right".

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · Post by **Dr. Hugh Jeffreys** » 1 Sep 2010 6:58 am

Jim - I have some things in semi-finished state; let me check it out and I'll be back in touch. Thanks for your interest.

Danny Bates · Post by **Danny Bates** » 1 Sep 2010 7:16 am

Yes. The fingertip does have a certain clarity even unplugged.. "almost semi-metallic". The weakest pickup setting turns it into the "telecaster of steels" ... You know a combo of twang and plunk! I guess maybe it's really just a "twang thang"

Pedal steel can't die ... or won't die.. besides,I'm not done playin' 'em yet!!!

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