New young steel players

Ted Solesky · From: Mineral Wells, Texas, USA

I heard a disappointing but true question from a friend of mine. He used to own a music store that catered to steel players. He asked, "how many new young steel players are there in Dallas and Ft Worth in the last 5 or 10 years? The population for these 2 areas is about 3 million. How many new, young steel players are in your area? How many new guitar or piano players are there in comparison? What can we do to promote the steel to the youth? A friend of mine plays hymns now and then at his church. I'm sure that in time, this will attract, or interest someone. What about school assemblies? We may have to play material like "Sleep Walk" to attract the non-country music listeners. Any suggestions or opinions out there?
Ted

Larry Miller · From: Dothan AL,USA

http://hometown.aol.com/laredo1010/myhomepage/profile.html

Damir Besic · From: Nashville,TN.

Great pic Larry

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http://hometown.aol.com/damirzanne/damirzanne1.html

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

hey ted i think i found a salution up here in canada.....the biggest problem is the parents...people that no nothing about music....the child wants to play but at that age they change there minds alot ...so the parents go to the local music store and buy a desent guitar (6 string) for around 500.00 canadian...they can afford to loose that much if little johnny or donna doesn't want to play anymore...but ...let the same parent walk in and see the price of a steel .... DONE .... the kid will never play steel...the parent will not spend that kind of money no way no how. but you and i both know that if you could just let the child ( and the parent) here some steel being played... the parent loves it (because it's not rock ) and to the child ...the sound is different ...and there like a sponge they'll want to play it. trust me this has happened alot of times to me. so i came up with a idea....that old maverick is about to get reborne
#1 you must remember to get the child young between 6 and 12
#2 i buy the mavericks for 300.00 us plus shipping
#3 i restore them at my expence (it costs me about 3 days and mabe 10 dollars can.
#4 i sell the steel to the parents for 450.00 can. plus shipping which works out to about 300.00 us. with the understanding that when the child out grows the maverick i'll take it in on trade towards a better steel for the child
#5 then i redo it all over again

i have done this a total of nine times
this has worked nine times
i now have 9 new cutomers that are hooked on the steel and want to play better and do more on it
and the parent are hooked also they get to here there child in recitales ( sorry bad spelling) hehehehehe
and you should see there faces when there kid gets up and plays together again or steel guitar rag or blues stay away from me
it's bloody unreal
so this solution seams to be working for me up here
and if your wondering about monitary gain ...it's a win win situation
i have nine new students that pay for lessons every week ( for years to come)
i make money when they buy a new pro model guitar
and we have nine new young pedal steel players chomping at the bit to play
this is just what has worked for me and what i have found up here in canada...it possibly could work down in the states to if some of these teachers that play steel stop bashing that old piece of firewood ,doesnt stay in tune ,pile of scrap, maverick...and stop tring to re invent the wheel and use the maverick for what it was made for ...teaching....it works ... been there done that...it only takes a little bit of time and effort on someones part...think about it!!!!!

thanks for letting me ramble

wayne

carter sd-10 nashville 1000

[This message was edited by Wayne Brown on 04 June 2002 at 06:02 AM.]

[This message was edited by Wayne Brown on 04 June 2002 at 06:03 AM.]

[This message was edited by Wayne Brown on 04 June 2002 at 06:05 AM.]

Richard Gonzales · From: Davidson, NC USA

A lot of you remember when you were a kid. That guy came to the door with the 6 string lap guitar which was loaned or rented very cheap. Lessons were $1.00 for a class lessons
with 10 other kids. It was very affordable to see if you would like it or had the talent.
Today you are talking hundreds of dollars
for guitar,amp and etc. and $20/$30 for an hour lesson.
Other instruments are rented by music stores or schools and the schools can teach at a no charge basis.
This is my take why the steel is not popular
with the young crowd.

Todd Pertll · From: Chicago, Illinois, USA

I'm a 26 year old player in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I only have a little over a year under my belt, but things are starting to make sense. I was a piano player as a kid, spent 7 years in school band, became a jazz bass player in college, and only discovered steel after doing country gigs to supliment my jazz income. There are some great young players in the area. There are guys like Aaron Wynne who plays with 1100 Springs, and Joe Butcher who plays with a group called Pleasant Grove. I know I've talked to a lot of guitar players in this area that are looking at getting into steel.

Karlis Abolins · From: (near) Seattle, WA, USA

Wayne, I want to commend you for a well thought-out solution which works (9 new steelers).
Another solution would be to buy a couple of Carter Starters ($700.00 USA retail I don't know the wholesale cost) and rent them for $32.00 dollars a month. Most music stores offer a deal where the first years rent can be applied to purchase. So, If the student buys it, he or she has to come up with $316.00 after one year. If the student decides not to buy or not to continue, you rent it out to another student. You get to keep the $384.00 dollars or use to add more stock. You also get the money for the lessons. By doing this, the student gets a much better student model to start with and 3 more Knee Levers.

Wayne, You are absolutely right about starting the students out young. By the time they get old enough to play professionally, they will sweep us older folks off the stage and not a minute too soon.

Karlis Abolins

Douglas Hudson · From: Galena, Kansas, USA

I say yes to the mavericks and the carter starters. My father who was a muscian bought me my first steel guitar, sho bud maverick. I tried very hard to play the darn thing and failed my first try. During this time the nashville steelers were producing such great music that I tried again. I worked very hard and was able to make my way through those ten strings to put out something called decent music. One night a enibriated person fell over my maverick on stage and ended its short life. I went back to playing lead guitar and finally came up with the money to buy a LDG, which I still own to this day. A couple of months ago My mother loaned me part of the money to buy a zum D-10. I am having the time of my life! So to say this is that you have to start somewhere and the mavericks and carter starters are the source that new pickers can afford. Dont forget that the pickers recording also has such a big influence on new pickers also.

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b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Moved to "Steel Players" section.

Bryan Knox · From: Gardendale, Alabama...Ya'll come

I will soon be 33 and I am the youngest steel student that I know of anywhere around here. I would hope that there are some younger newbies to steel around here that I do not know about. I always loved the steel but was intimidated by all of the stories I heard of how difficult it is to learn. About 6 months ago I bit the bullet and haven't looked back. Wish I had started years ago.

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Help prevent juvenile delinquency...teach children to STEEL

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

Great picture, Larry! This past Sunday I spent a couple of hours of one-on-one time with a little three-year-old boy who was visiting our house (his mother was doing some yard work for us). When he arrived, I was just starting to do that dreaded chore...changing strings. Gabriel (the little boy) was very interested in my PSG. I stopped what I was doing and let him have some fun with my steel. I helped Gabriel hold the bar and showed him how he could strum the strings. Then, I introduced him to the joys of wildly, sliding the bar up and down the neck of the guitar. He thought that was great fun. Although, we enjoyed a couple hours of playing with his toys and watching videos, Gabriel kept coming back to my Sierra to slide the bar and strum the strings. Who knows, maybe 20 years from now he might be a pro steel picker.

New young steel players? I think Austin has more aspiring players than at any time I can remember in the 22 years I've been living here. Herb Steiner, Ricky Davis and Jim Loessberg may be able to shed more light on the Austin scene as they do/have done some teaching here.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Dave Ristrim · From: Whites Creek, TN

I may get burned for saying this, but... I think things should be left to develop on their own. To tell the truth, I kinda miss the days when it was harder to find "steel guitar" music and players. When you did finally find something or someone it was like the Holy Grail! PLEASE DON'T MISUNDERSTAND, I love the Steel Guitar Forum and all you guys/gals out there, but for me, I think the scarceness of the instrument and it's music drew me to it in the first place.
On the other hand, this whole attitude of mine could be the fact that I am getting older and have lost my youthfull exuberance.
But consider this- we have so many talented players out there right now.I don't have the time or money to check out or buy a Cd from every player there is currently playing/recording. IN NO WAY AM I SUGGESTING A REDUCTION OR FREEZE of the number of players. But the whole "globalization" of the steel community may not be the best thing. I think people need to find things out for themselves. Much like many of us did when we first got started. Some helpful information along the way is great ( I gleaned plenty from players over the years ) but I don't see the need for a youth camp for Pedal Steel

I would still play Steel Guitar if I was the last man on earth. Actually, if that was the case, I think I would go insane and have to stop at that point.
Guys, don't jump all over me for this post. It is just a "mood" piece.
Dave

Bryan Knox · From: Gardendale, Alabama...Ya'll come

Dave, I don't think you're out of line at all.

I have to agree that one of the attractions to the steel for me was its scarceness, but it was also one of the reasons I stayed away so long. I also would not necessarily like to see "globalization" of the steel to the point that everybody and his brother was doing it, my concern is thate there are virtually no folks my age (mid 30's) who play country/gospel music and/or steel guitar in my area.
My wife, who is very supportive of my music, often asks "is there nobody OUR age you can play music with?" It seems that anybody under 40 years old is either playing head banging music (no offense to all you head bangers out there

) or plays almost exclusively in bars, and due to "our" personal convictions we do not frequent those types of places.
I know steel is used in many styles of music and I think thats great. It does concern me though, that people my age do not seem to be interested in classic country music, a genre that is very well suited for the instrument we all love. And I think that is one of the main contributors to the low number of "younger" folks playing steel.
This is a great topic!

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Help prevent juvenile delinquency...teach children to STEEL

Dr. Hugh Jeffreys · From: Southaven, MS, USA

I don't believe that price is the issue; my niece recently bought her 12 y/o daughter a French horn --- $3000.00. Other parents do the same. The youngster interested in steel has to hear something that sets him off first of all. I ask a great guitar player one time why he wanted to become a pro. guitar player. He said that he was in a dept. store one day and heard a guitar solo that stopped him dead in his tracks. He said he was dumbfounded by it. As soon as he could, he bought an electric Gibson and went on his way. That guitar solo that he heard on Muzak turned out to be The Benny Goodman Sextet with Charlie Christian on guitar. Kids need to hear something that will perk up their ears when a steel is played. Then start on the right foot: learn to read MUSIC on the front end with a good teacher and forget about tab. HJ

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

thanks karlis but the carter starter up here is around 1395.00 so that sort of rules that out...dr. jefferys i disagree sorry but money in todays economy is a issue especially for the parents that have no musical background and do not understand it ...as for teaching i have a unique way of teaching children and with in 6 months they can play along with almost any country song they wish they become very fluent in tab extremely fast especially at that young age....actual sheet music is boring to them....to them it's just a bunch of black dots and they soon give up on it....but ....when there trying to make that maverick cry like my carter i have never seen more determination ...AND THEY DO DO IT...and when they do WOW this is cool...so if you guys have any mavericks you would like to sell for about 300 plus shipping please let me know ( cheap plug) hehehehehe
thanks
wayne

carter sd-10 nashville 1000

Jerry Lee Newberry · From: Prim, AR USA

Hi all. This is Dana Stewart speaking. I am using my father's name here since I am not registered. I do not play a guitar but as the mother of a young aspiring steel player I wanted to chime in here. My son, Austin Stewart took an interest in the steel guitar at the age of 5 years old. He will be 8 this month & it looks like he might be a steel player some day. Everyone asks me how I kept him interested. We don't even try to keep him interested. All he needed was a papa like Jerry Newberry & a buddy like Jerry Roller to recognize that he was interested & put the equipment in his hands. He took it from there.

My husband & I have said many times that had it not been for Dad we would not have known Austin even wanted to play steel guitar & we could not have given him the equipment if we had known. (Thanks Dad & Jerry) I am sure there are hundreds of children out there with a talent that just need the opportunity to develop it.

Also the steel guitar is stuck so far back into a corner on most of your stages that most children don't know the instrument exists.

PS: Mr. Douglas Hudson: We are your neighbors here in Mulberry Kansas. We had no idea we had another steel player so close.

Douglas Hudson · From: Galena, Kansas, USA

Wow good to hear you all are so close. I am playing with the lightning creek band. If you get a chance come on out and introduce yourselves. Anything I can do to teach, I will do. I am trying to talk to Kutz Music to get them to stock at least one carter starter. I have told him I would do all I can to teach. My email is guitarman@cpol.net

Jerry Lee Newberry · From: Prim, AR USA

Thanks Mr. Hudson. We will try to come out & meet you some time. I will be emailing you soon.

Dana Stewart

Bruce W Heffner · From: Payson, Arizona

Hey Teddy, do you remember when I was a young guy back in 1973 and I bought a ZB from you? My interest was ignited when I heard the Byrds and Poco. I had no idea what country music was at that time; however, I heard the instrument from sources I was familiar with previously. The potential new young player needs to be exposed to the steel first, from that the passion must burn from within. By the way, Tom Vollmer and I are still playing our Emmons guitars.

Your Pal Wally

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www.pedalsteel.net

Wayne Brown · From: Bassano, Alberta, Canada

as evey body knows the steel has a magnetism about it ...the sound of it attracts so many people young and old....clint black i think said it best in one of his songs "nothin like a steel guitar crying in the night"...oh ya

[This message was edited by Wayne Brown on 04 June 2002 at 08:55 PM.]

Ted Solesky · From: Mineral Wells, Texas, USA

Thank you all for the response to my topic. I sure do appreciate all the input.
The one thing that I was really trying to point out is the comparison in numbers of steel guitars sold compared to guitars and the piano. You can go to almost any town or city where there is a population of 50,000, more or less, and find a, say piano on display. And someone in that store will know at least basically, how to play it. Of course the guitar is cheaper and it does sell more and there will be someone available at that store to give lessons. It would be nice to be able to walk into (almost) any music store and at least find a student model steel on display. And to have someone there that at least knows the basics about the guitar. Wayne Brown is to be commended on his plan.
I agree to a certain extent about keeping the guitar a little scarce. But I feel awkward when, after playing a hot set, someone comes up to you and asks "what is that thing?". Or "oh, you play the keyboard". (in Texas?) This is why I feel that the steel guitar needs more exposure. I would like to see it in all styles of music. I personally like the Ray Price, Connie Smith, Johnny Bush type of material.
So, what I originally was suggesting is that if any of us steel players can donate some time to promote the steel guitar, that would be great. Guys like Paul Franklin, Tommy White, Mike Johnson might evolve from this effort. Thanks again for all the comments.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

In the mid 70's, I played for a guy who was a cross between Jim Croce and John Denver. He was also a very good song writer. About 50% originals. The band consisted of only him on rhythm guitar, a piano player, a banjo (sorry b0b) player and me on steel. Some bigger gigs he hired a drummer and bass. We played mostly coffee houses but one of the things he really wanted to do was to bring his music to the younger people. We did a lot of elementary, Jr high and high school gigs. I had a lot of kids come up and talk to me about the instrument that they did not know. Maybe this is what is needed again.

Also, within the past 5 or 6 years, I have played one gig a year for a school principle who likes to think he is a star. He puts together a band and plays for his elementary school kids. Country and country rock mix. It's so cool playing for the smaller kids (kindergarten to 3rd grade) as they have not really settled into a type of music that they prefer. They are so into it. I actually enjoyed that better that playing for adults.

Beyond the price and stereo type that the steel carries, I also wonder if young people look at what kind of future they might have if they play steel as opposed to guitar, bass, drums etc... If a kid does his homework on this, I could see where it would turn someone off. I probably would have stayed a drummer 31 years ago instead of picking up the steel if I thought I would never get to play in front of an audience. That is what most aspiring musicians strive for, having others share your music.

I really applaud the artists that are using steel in other forms of music. This may be what will keep our beloved instrument from becoming extinct.

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Carter D10 9p/10k
Richard Sinkler

DJ Sillito · From: Lethbrige, Alberta, Canada

I started when I was 12 years because my uncle played the Steel.I begged for a steel guitar and I finally got one. A MSA Starter guitar. It took me a year to learn "Crazy Arms" .The learning curve is quite steep for a steel and maybe that is why young one's get discouraged fast. I highly reccomend lessons or at least someone musically inclined and very patient to encourage the young one's along. Today there is so much information available I can hardly keep up with it all which is quite a blessing. I am now 31 years old and I can't get enough of this crazy ,wonderful ,unique,frustrating, fantastic musical instrument! I owe alot to those who bought me the equipment and spent countless hours encouraging me. If you know of a little guy or gal trying to tackle this instrument take them unde your wing it will pay off in the end.

Brian Wetzstein · From: Billings, MT, USA

Hello everyone! I like many others started on other instruments. At 26 years of age I began learning the pedal steel. Now seven months later, I have won a spot in a local band. It would have been much more difficult to get in a band playing six string, drums, etc... There is a much greater need for pedal players here.
I joke and say that even bieng as green as I am I am one of the top ten pedal steel players in Seattle. (Because there are only six!!!)
I have always loved the sound of the pedal steel and I am very proud to be a new player.
I think my daily practice is paying off. I would love to find a local E9 tutor if any of you are interested.
Thanks everyone!
Brian

Al Vescovo · From: Van Nuys, CA, USA * R.I.P.

Hi All, I happy to say that I agree with Dr. Hugh. One should learn to read Music and get a good teacher. The instrument could be a six string acoustic guitar with a nut to raise the strings to start with. So, there's hardly any cost and it,s a quick and easy introduction into the world of the steel guitar. That's exactly how I got started some 59 years ago and I,ve made a living in the music business since I was 12. It,s been a great life and I still love it. I think it's a matter of promotion of the instrument in all fields of music that's going to pay off in the long run, along with sites like the Steel Guitar Forum, the steel conventions, and jams. But, as Dr. Hugh says,Learn Music Notation, that is if you want to be a Musician. Thanks, Al

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