A "perfect" steel guitar world

Miguel e Smith · From: Phoenix, AZ

If we could all simply create our “perfect world” in our musical lives, it would be… a wonderful thing! I have no doubts that each of our definitions for “perfect” would be a little different from each other, and “perfect” is usually like art and “in the eye of the beholder”. But, I do think there would be some similarities in all of our creations; “perfect” pay, “perfect” musicians to compliment our “perfect” and remarkable talent, “perfect” sounding stage, “perfect” tuning, “perfect” gear that always sounds great and never breaks down, “perfect” respect and adoration from our peers, a “perfect” crowd that just can’t get enough of this experience, and uhhh…did I say “perfect” pay?
Just for kicks I thought I’d look up what Webster’s Dictionary stated as “perfect”…
1 a : being entirely without fault or defect : FLAWLESS b : satisfying all requirements : ACCURATE c : corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept d : faithfully reproducing the original; specifically : LETTER-PERFECT e : legally valid
2 : EXPERT, PROFICIENT
3 a : PURE, TOTAL b : lacking in no essential detail : COMPLETE c obsolete : SANE d : ABSOLUTE, UNEQUIVOCAL e : of an extreme kind : UNMITIGATED
4 obsolete : MATURE
5 : of, relating to, or constituting a verb form or verbal that expresses an action or state completed at the time of speaking or at a time spoken of
6 obsolete a : CERTAIN, SURE b : CONTENTED, SATISFIED
7 of a musical interval : belonging to the consonances unison, fourth, fifth, and octave which retain their character when inverted and when raised or lowered by a half step become augmented or diminished

I’m not sure if other musicians would use the SANE definition concerning steel players, but remember that we’re talking about our “perfect” world and not the “real” one.
I think a lot of us (and I’m including myself) have many times linked several of these wish list items together although they don’t seem to naturally mix…kinda like vinegar and oil. For example, linking perfect tuning to a steel guitar in the first place….boy, that’s a tough one, BUT I need to keep reminding myself that this is the “perfect” or ideal world I’m thinking of! Another example is linking respect and pay together. Ugggghhhh…reality is leaking into my “perfect” world again.
Thinking up “perfect” scenarios and standards and living them in my mind is far more fun and easy than trying to put them into practice into my “real” world, that’s for sure. I found it interesting that Webster’s listed a few descriptives for “perfect” as : MATURE, CERTAIN, SURE, CONTENTED and SATISFIED and those were all listed as being obsolete descriptions. But, when I think about how I have linked my value as a musician to (for example) the pay I receive for a gig, maybe some of these obsolete descriptives are not so obsolete after all (?).
The Musicians Union has tried to standardize and regulate a fair wage structure for many years. In reality it serves a distinct purpose if even for a select handful. Even the union cannot effectively dictate to all employers this standard. So we all, in reality, are contract laborers, self-employed and we stand alone to negotiate our own wages for each opportunity (God, please let there be opportunities!). But, what’s the practical, day-to-day method for negotiating our “fair wage”? Can we command top dollar for gigs? Do we turn down what we think is low pay to risk not working at all? Is so-and-so getting more than I am for basically the same work? We probably all get ruffled feathers when a singer calls and offers us low pay for a basically terrible gig. What…does this guy not know who I am? Even worse, you get called for an mediocre gig and they want you to audition. AUDITION!?!?!?!?! You spend the effort and time explaining why that’s a ridiculous idea and now this guy thinks you’re a Primadona (and you do too). Now I’ve not only got a bad taste in my mouth, but I feel like a jerk. Why didn’t I just say “no thanks”? (sigh)
I’ve read several posts in this forum about pay. My experience has been that I have to place each situation into one of several categories such as; club, stage show, corporate, touring artist, etc… If I just want to play, it almost doesn’t matter what the pay is. But if I think about the years of practice and buying gear and putting up with bad bands and buying endless cassettes, records and CD’s and the thousands of hours away from my family, and how I’m aging faster than my retirement account….”YOU BETTER PAY ME DAMN GOOD!x#!”. (deep breath and…let it out…and…I-I-I-I’m-m-m OK. If I had a Valium, I’d lick it)
In reality, if we were all independently wealthy and didn’t have to work, we could play for the love and art of the music and our self-worth would be served very well (so long as we got the respect we’re due….) In my real world, like most of yours, I try to command as much as the market will bear financially and I simply make the day-to-day decision about each situation. Yea, there can be a liberating exhuberance when using the word “no”…just don’t get crazy with it…remember the mortgage is coming due. You’re a self-employed business owner and you need to take care of your business.
OK, back to the “perfect” world… the stage hands just perfectly handled my gear with loving kindness and my personal tech just perfectly setup and perfectly tuned my guitar on this perfectly beautiful stage (of course, my gear will remain right here in my personal spot although there are 4 other acts on the bill). I really appreciate the perfect temperature of this room and how it won’t go up or down even when the room is filled with perfectly adoring fans who are each happy to spend an extra $20 to buy my low-budget CD. My personal monitor mix is perfect and the monitor engineer loved all of my EQ suggestions (and my wife really loved his Polo shirt and starched kakki pants outfit and, of course, the wife is perfect in both worlds). The backstage food was perfect…Rendevouz ribs, crab legs, Rudy’s BBQ..all flown in fresh about a half hour ago. The show went…well, p-e-r-f-e-c-t-ly and I finished in time to simply beam back home in time to watch the D-Backs beat the Dodgers while I counted my money. The announcer then says the baseball strike has been averted and the players will get their badly needed increases to their already multi-million dollar incomes. Can life get any better than this?

Mike G. Smith

Jeff Lampert · From: queens, new york city

Ray Jenkins · From: Gold Canyon Az. U.S.A.

Mike,I just contacted the "Forum Psychologist",he will be at your house soon.In the meantime lick your valium and relax.

The "Perfect" musical position,I believe would be like the farmers land bank.Thats where the goverenment paid the farmers not to plant crops.
They would pay us not to go out and play,we would be allowed to stay home and play for our own satisfaction,this is like keeping the land free of weeds and over growth.

Never mind,give me a lick of that valium and send the shrink to me when he's finished with you.

Ray

P.S.
See you the 28th of Sept.

------------------
Steeling is still legal in Arizona

[This message was edited by Ray Jenkins on 27 August 2002 at 10:45 AM.]

Billy Johnson · From: Nashville, Tn, USA

Mike, you hooked me when you mentioned Rendevouz ribs. Where do I sign up??

Rex Thomas · From: Thompson's Station, TN

Roger that on the Rendevouz ribs.

Abe Stoklasa · From: Nashville, TN

Perfection is not a destination. It's the journey.

Donny Hinson · From: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.

"Perfection is the flame of a candle just out of our reach. We can see it's light, and feel it's warmth...but we needn't fear ever getting burned, for we'll never get close enough".

Joe Miraglia · From: Jamestown N.Y.

Kind of like if everyone sound and played like me, then I would be perfect. Joe

Don Olson · From: Muscatine,Ia. USA

Some deep thoughts Mike,I was perfect once, then I was concieved and it's been downhill ever since.
ZUMSTEEL Don

Reggie Duncan · From: Mississippi

If we obtain personal perfection in a perfect world, what is left? No progress, no change. Just perfection. Boring.

But, it could be better, sometimes.

John Macy · From: Rockport TX/Denver CO

Mike,

You forgot to add ID releases Paris 4.5, with 96K and Surround and new hardware....

jim milewski · From: stowe, vermont

They say "practice makes perfect" not true! it should be "perfect practice makes perfect", I for one learned many things wrong and have to unteach myself bad playing habits

Gene Jones · From: Oklahoma City, OK USA, (deceased)

I have known a few musicians that fit perfectly in Miguels scenario ...(in their own mind while inspired by little white pills with crosses)

Ed Naylor · From: portsmouth.ohio usa, R.I.P.

I have come to one conclusion in life-MAKE WHAT YOU HAVE WORK FOR YOU . Ed Naylor Steel Guitar Works

Danny Bates · From: Fresno, CA. USA

Here's proof... Elvis is still alive!

Jim Bob Sedgwick · From: Clinton, Missouri USA

Gene: Are you talking about the "religious aspirin" that was so common in the sixties?
The aspirin that was so inspiring a person could not sleep for days, while pondering their own greatness?

Oh, I forgot that musicians thought it was against the law to go to bed (at least to sleep), between Friday night and Monday Morning.

[This message was edited by Jim Bob Sedgwick on 31 August 2002 at 07:24 PM.]

Miguel e Smith · From: Phoenix, AZ

OK, let’s see where we are with all of this…..

I thought I ‘was’ still in my early 20’s, and that mirror was just kidding around.

The Forum Psyc did stop by and said I was licking the little white pills instead of the Valiums….BIG mistake. Then I looked on the label and it said….”Take two and call me in the morning….four days from now” That was about the time I woke up with fader marks on my forehead.

Man, a mess of Rendevouz dry paprika ribs would truly be “perfect” right now with that hot sauce (maybe I can catch the red-eye to Memphis and what a journey that would be). Maybe Elvis will be there too.

John….y-o-u don’t have the 4.5 release???

Alas….my beaming device broke (where did that tech go???) and I can’t make it to St. Louis again this year. At least the strike was overted…but the D-Backs have lost 5 in a row. I should’ve been more careful about what I wished for in the “perfect world”.

Senior Miguelito e Smith

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

I'm glad things are all screwy. My perfect world would end up being boring compared to the challenging madness of what passes for the real world.

I sorta hope that someday I'll graduate from the school of hard knocks though...

Bob

Miguel e Smith · From: Phoenix, AZ

“Alright…..one…..two…..three! You’ll awake and will completely be in the real-time world and feel completely refreshed.”

Ahhhhhhhh….(yawn and stretch)…I feel great. What’s been happening while I was ‘out’? Hmmmmm, reading the forum I see that the optimists and the pessimists are debating the mass popularity of the pedal steel, the U.S. hasn’t invaded Iraq (yet) and HEY!….the D-Backs won a game last night!!!!

Concerning the popularity bit, I want to first of all say that I think it’s great and fantastic that our instrument is getting the exposure it is, especially during the convention time, even if it is primarily from folks who follow the instrument. I also think that the steel is getting more exposure now than it has at any other time in history. Geeezzz, just look at how young this instrument really is. I don’t know the exact moment of conception for the pedal steel, but I’m going to guess it’s less than 50 years old give or take a few (?). Sure, the pedal steel hasn’t taken the leaps and bounds like the television or audio industry, but it ‘has’ grown. The issue of widespread popularity is another whole thing.

With the exception of “Sleep Walk” (great to see those guys inducted), we’ve not had a mass appeal solo project. Yes, we’ve had hundreds of incredibly talented and gifted pedal steel artists release wonderful product and play their hearts out. But to compete against big-time promotion and big-time money, we would have to be on the same level of big-time promotion and big-time money. It still wouldn’t guarantee a ‘hit’, but the exposure….oh my gosh! Then the packaging would have to be pretty incredible. Think about the basic limitations we all mostly share when playing…we sit down to play and can’t move around on stage, so we’re limited to one single spot to perform . Keyboard players are close but they can stand or even strap on some models. (piano also has one universal tuning and the pedal set-up is all the same). We have a fretless instrument and so by and large we keep our heads down and eyes glued to the fret board…not terribly sexy to a young CD buying crowd. The general popularity of the instrument hasn’t taken the familiar role in average households the way pianos and guitars have. Those instruments can be self-contained, but it’s difficult to just walk up to a pedal steel and just sound great. It’s a wonderful instrument, but let’s face it, you gotta have the gear (geeezzz…the gear), the ears and the years it generally takes to get good at it.

Here’s ‘a’ idea….I’ve heard that there might be a half million steel players or enthusiasts worldwide. Let’s assume that’s correct just for this example and ‘if’, each one of these people were to donate $2.00 each per year, we could collectively invest one-million into the career of one individual who we (somehow) thought would be a great choice to promote. They’d have great studio product, videos and I’m sure there could be created some promotional tours to colleges and maybe even larger venues as an opening act here and there (there would be some cash flow created during this process). You could afford some radio promotion. This fictitious amount would certainly still not come close to the monies spent by N’Sync or Brittney, but the exposure would be great.

Here’s my reality….we all need to step up to the plate if we want ‘household’ status. I’m sure there would be more ideas and concepts than any one of us could think about, but we need a ‘star’ outside of our present world. I think Robert Randolph is opening doors daily and will continue to do so and I suspect he’ll get even more great exposure as this adventure reveals itself. But, there needs to be more…. much more. If it happens for us the way it has for other instruments, it’ll be because someone is so driven for it personally that they just can’t be stopped. Let me say also that I don’t think this mantle is going to be worn because a handful of players are the fastest, smoothest, loudest or flashiest out there. Sure, they are going to have to be great but also very smart about the ‘career’. If nothing else, our world will bulge and create more opportunities for artistic expression and cash flow. You know, I think swap meets and hamburger stands were small businesses at one time.

Overall, we shouldn’t be discouraged in the least. We have chosen to be interested in a difficult instrument. In some cases it may have chosen us (?). Perhaps we shouldn’t compare ourselves to the market that, traditionally, our instrument supports but does not ‘star’ in. That market what the major record companies have made it, a promotion and sales venue for singers. I’m not saying that’s bad either, it’s just what it is. If I had a million dollars to spend today and my only two choices were investing in a talented singers career and a talented steel guitar player’s career (other than my own..), I’d go with the singer. Still risky but not as wildly (not a strong enough word) risky as the steel player. Trails need to be blazed and steel players need to go where it hasn’t been before. I hope to be a part of that and I hope each one of you will be too.

Mike

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