The Steel Guitar Forum

Wondering ages and where you'd like to take the steel today and in the future?

At 41, this question probably don't apply to me.

Mitch

I was a young steel player once.

I'm young at heart

Hey Ms. Theresa. I am 18 and I would love to make playing the steel my career. But times are hard right now and I'm stuck in welding school all day learning about nuclear welding. But maybe it'll be my career someday.

Austin, Welding is one of the finest skills you can
posess.
You will never be unemployed and the wages are very good.
Best wishes on finishing nuclear welding school with
high grades.
Blake

Sometimes I feel like a kid.

Good topic Theresa, I've been thinking about it this morning...and the path I chose when I was young. A great philosopher once said "...all paths lead to nowhere, you have to choose the one with a HEART"
To pack a bag and your guitar and not know where you're going, take a risk. I think the young players who aren't responding here are out on that path somewhere, God bless em.......

John,
I actually got it from Austin's other thread. Thanks for those who replied & best wishes and keep striving !
Dan, I too remember when I was young!

I'm 21, and it's definantly what I'd like to do career wise. I am a full time college student right now, and I play steel at night to make money. It's something I enjoy very much, and something I want to do for a long time.

Theresa Galbraith wrote:John,
I actually got it from Austin's other thread. Thanks for those who replied & best wishes and keep striving !
Dan, I too remember when I was young!

But you are much younger than I am Theresa.

at least 6 months

I'm 19...right now, I'm playing country/rock gigs pretty frequently around here, with several different groups and singer/songwriters. I'm also doing some jazz and blues stuff. I'm going to college in the fall, but I'd like to (and plan to) make steel guitar my full-time career.

Wow. And I thought I was one of the youngest on the forum. I am 36. I would love play full time but my day job is cnc machine repairman.

30 Years young...still hacking away at learning the steel in my second year. Hopefully I'll be comfortable with steel before I consider myself too old...lol.

I am 29 years young....been steelin' for about 7-8 years.......playing guitar for 17....I work full time at a guitar shop and give lessons on days off.......and when am I supposed to have time for a music career?!?!? lol

I head up the Southern California Steel Guitar Association......hold jams for the club every once in a while..........provide a network between about 150 so cal steel players......is that taking steel somewhere?

22 here...done with college in a couple weeks, then looking for something to do musically for a while. Ya never know!

This is cool to see ages. Inspiring for all ages!
Thanks to Austin for mentioning it in another thread!

Dan,
Thanks, but I think we're about the same age. Any player would love to play as good as you, no matter what age!

does 2nd childhood count?

I wasn't even young when I took up steel guitar!

Young at heart, though.

I'm going on 57 and from what I can tell, I'm in the youngest third of steel players.

To answer the question, in the remaining 57 or 58 years I have left, I hope I can take my E9th playing into the near reaches of "corny" that Bobbe Seymour was talking in his email last week. That's assuming I get busy and quit goofing off the way I've been doing in the 28 years since I got my first Maverick up to now.

Austin Tripp wrote:Hey Ms. Theresa. I am 18 and I would love to make playing the steel my career. But times are hard right now and I'm stuck in welding school all day learning about nuclear welding. But maybe it'll be my career someday.

Austin,

If you think times are hard now, wait until you try to make a living playing music. Some do okay, but the good jobs are few and far between. With your welding carrer you can get steady work with benefits, retirement, insurance, etc.... I know that doesn't seems so important to you right now, but it will later....... trust me. If I were you, I'd get the welding credentials before I even though about a music career...then go live your dream with something to fall back on if it doesn't work out to your liking.

As Rick says above, get yourself something to fall back on for when the music money just isn't there. But, and it's a big but, if you get the chance to make music and make a living at the same time, give it a go.
I haven't played in public for around three hundred years now but I will never, ever forget the time I spent as a pro musician. I loved it. Well, most of it. I was offered, and accepted the chance to go into the session field. I quit the road band and discovered the truth behind the expression 'the music business'. It was horrendous. That's a different thread however.
So, back to the point. If you are young enough to be reading this thread to see if it applies to you, go for it and try to change the world. Learn from the things that you do and only regret the chances you let get away. Get a qualification or a good bundle of FU money first 'though.

Allan.....

I'm 26. My most recent job (residential mentor for teens) has been the best thing for my steel guitar playing. I get all the time off I need, benefits, and I'm not too worn out to go play a gig after work. Also, I live in a place with not too many steel guitarists. The downside is not having a teacher, but I think the playing experience outweighs that for now. I didn't get to play as much when I was cooking for a living, or living in the city with no car.

I'm not trying to do anything terribly new with the psg, but I have realized that the C6 tuning works great for playing with rock bands and also with those who are doing the early Hank style country/folk. I'd like to be able to do some stuff on the lower strings that would resemble the left hand of the piano on the early rock n' roll recordings. Like "Witches Brew", but in a supporting role.

p.s. I think Austin Stewart is just great

I'm 34.