Who's gonna fill Jeff's shoes

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 24 Feb 2006 2:24 pm

Hi all:

I remember the wonderful two weeks of playing with Jeff Newman in 1998 and 2001. And I miss him dearly. I am sure we all do.

I know this is a tough question, and I don't want to be disrespectful, but is someone offering this kind of one on one classes (like 3 day courses) in the Nashville area. (I already did a course with Doug Jernigan, which was a great course btw, but I was just wondering).

I read somewhere on the Forum that Joe Wright started a school in the Nashville area?

I have plans to come over for two weeks to the US again next year, when I have a sabattical leave. A good friend of mine (a six string player) and me have this crazy plan to spend a one week pilgrimage in the Nashville area and one week in the Austin area. I have already found some great teachers in the Austin area, but was wondering about Nashville and who is going to fill Jeff's shoes.

Your Dutch friend

Tom

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Franklin D10, Derby D10, Emmons D10 (1967), ZB Custom S10, Melobar Teleratt and Melobro, Nashville 112, Session 400, Evans 200, Twin Reverb 1980

[This message was edited by Tom Ensink on 24 February 2006 at 03:41 PM.]

Allan Thompson · Post by **Allan Thompson** » 24 Feb 2006 2:59 pm

Tom,
Give Mike Sweeney a call, he gives one to one lessons. Mike is one of the most under rated players in Nashville.

bob drawbaugh · Post by **bob drawbaugh** » 26 Feb 2006 6:41 am

Tom I don't mean any disrespect to any of the Nashville players. But, from a teaching stand point I don't think we have anyone to fill Jeff's shoes. For my money Reece Anderson's teaching style is a lot like Jeff's and can't be beat. If you want to learn how to play steelguitar and not just a song on the steelguitar then Reece is your man. Maybe you need to spend a week in Dallas and for get Nashville.IMHO

Tommy R. Butler · Post by **Tommy R. Butler** » 26 Feb 2006 12:08 pm

I agree that no one will ever fill the shoes of JEFF NEWMAN.

Joe Wright is over in Joelton TN. He is set up to do teaching with living quaters and all the comforts of home.

Check him out.

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 26 Feb 2006 2:33 pm

Thanks. I have heard Reese's name mentioned before. I will certainly keep it in mind!

But I hope you understand that for us Europeans the Nashville area has this magical aura around it. It is about the combination of taking a course during the day and hopefully finding a good band (preferrably with big name session musicians)at night.

(I must admit, I have been twice in Nashville, but was often far from lucky to find this kind of vibe. Meaning: the country bars were all empty and the blues bars chockfull)

On top of that, my friend has never been in Nashville, so he wants to go there anyway.

And as you may have seen, we also plan to visit the great state of Texas and come to Austin for a week!

Tom

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Franklin D10, Derby D10, Emmons D10 (1967), ZB Custom S10, Melobar Teleratt and Melobro, Nashville 112, Session 400, Evans 200, Twin Reverb 1980

[This message was edited by Tom Ensink on 26 February 2006 at 03:13 PM.]

bob drawbaugh · Post by **bob drawbaugh** » 26 Feb 2006 2:43 pm

Tom, I felt the same way about Nashville and went for the same reasons. Now you almost have to go to Texas to find that and more.

Hey a weekend in Nashville will be more than enough. Then get down to Texas and look Reece.

Bruce W Heffner · Post by **Bruce W Heffner** » 26 Feb 2006 3:39 pm

No one.

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www.pedalsteel.net

Jody Sanders · Post by **Jody Sanders** » 26 Feb 2006 9:44 pm

I agree with Bob D. Jody.

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 27 Feb 2006 2:51 am

well, for the most part I view this thread as being in the same camp as which strings are better...

this is not dissing anyone..

Of course nobody is going to replace Jeff..When I think of Jeff I think not only of a great player, a very fine teacher but one who also produced many different programs covering many topics for Steel players for decades.

Jeff stood tall in the crowd and rightfully so...I personally crossed paths with Jeff many times over the past 30 years..each time totally enjoyable.

Now, that being said..to somehow assume that in Nashville there may not be any anyone around who can be commissioned to teach is quite the stretch...

and of couse as mentioned, if you are IN Texas..I am certain Reese can get 'er done, no issue there...

There are several players of "Skill" that are also blessed with being excellent Teachers as well...keep in mind , you do not have to be a great player to be a great teacher...

Mike Sweeney, Joe Wright,Herb Steinar(texas), Herb Wallace, Doug Jernigan to name a few. Some of these players also have decades worth of teaching materials available which shows that they have been in the teaching game for quite a while...and have been focused on it...

Please let us not pideon hole this teaching thing..Jeff was a master, and pretty much paved the way for others to follow..and just to be clear....others have followed.

One of the biggest mistakes STUDENTS make is they approach a fine player and commission lessons, and end up not learning anything as the player may not really be a very good Instructor or perhaps the lesson plan is way different than what the student may be seeking. The student should ask what the lesson plan is and what is involved and make a decision from there. What will he/she take away from the lessons ?

There are many many fine players out there who are also very fine teachers, each of the players mentioned in this thread included..

I am certain therer are some pretty good player/teachers in Nashville, just as there are down there in the great state of Texas...

me, I'd be honored to sit across the Steel from any one of the mentioned players...

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TPrior
TPrior Steel Guitar Homesite


[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 27 February 2006 at 03:00 AM.]

Tom Ensink · Post by **Tom Ensink** » 27 Feb 2006 3:08 am

I totally agree with all respondents that it will be very hard, if not impossible, to find a teacher with the same didactical skills of Jeff. He was unique in all respect.

That being said, even with a teacher having 50% of his skills it'll be worth it to come over.

The first step, however, is a teacher that has the capacity and material of doing a one-on-one lessons for a couple of days in a row.

I wonder if Joe Wright wants to do that. I think he does more of an outgoing and (internationally) touring type of guy than Jeff was at the time.

But if he does, I'd certainly be interested. I have done a seminar with him before, which was very helpful. I will check him out.

Tom

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Franklin D10, Derby D10, Emmons D10 (1967), ZB Custom S10, Melobar Teleratt and Melobro, Nashville 112, Session 400, Evans 200, Twin Reverb 1980

Mike Sweeney · Post by **Mike Sweeney** » 27 Feb 2006 11:13 am

Tom,

Shoot me an email...I'll be glad to answer any questions you may have.. My address is stlplyr@yahoo.com.
It's true that nobody will ever replace Jeff Newman but, for someone to say there are no steel guitar teachers in Nashville anymore is quite oposite of how it is. There are three of us here who teach one on one and seminars and we all support one another.
Before you listen to someone in a state other than Tennessee tell you there are no teachers here dig a little deeper than the surface and you'll find us.

Mike Sweeney www.freewebs.com/steelguitarmusic/

Ron Sodos · Post by **Ron Sodos** » 27 Feb 2006 1:19 pm

Nobody will ever come close to Jeff's ability to explain and the student comprehend. I learned E9th from him in 1979
and I am learning C6th from him now (of course on DVD)

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 27 Feb 2006 1:31 pm

Jeff was a great teacher, and that was due to his people skills. There was no way you couldn't like him, he was just a real "people person". There are other teachers out there, and many are very good. Some are more serious in their methods, they don't have Jeff's sense of humor, but you can still learn from them just the same.