by Jeff Scheetz, TrueFire’s Director of Education
I grew up on a farm in the middle of Iowa. Not exactly a music mecca. Add to that the fact there was no internet back then, only 3 channels on TV, fairly limited radio, no tab books, no concerts on video, and the closest music store was 30 miles away. It is a wonder I know ANYTHING about music!
I started playing when I was about 16 and tried to find as many players as I could to get inspiration from. Live concerts were one of the only ways to see other players back then, and while I would go see bands like Ozzy with Randy Rhoads, or Pat Metheny’s band when they would play around, I found the best way to see live music consistently was to sneak into clubs in the area that had live music. This was back in the day when some of the bigger rock clubs got pretty good regional touring bands. So I got my fake ID and I was off!
When everyone else wanted to sneak into a club so they could drink, I wanted to see the bands! I still remember some of the guitar players that came into these clubs. I never tried to compare myself to the usual local guys, but always wanted to see the players who were the “professionals.”
Of course, kids today don’t have to resort to skullduggery or illegal activity to see players. Nowadays we are exposed to new players in completely different ways. YouTube has made more unknown guitar players “famous” than any other medium. Both the good and the bad.
The Internet allows us to not only find cool new players, but also to share them easily. Websites like TrueFire not only feature great guitar instruction, but also showcase educators, share great guitar videos, offer forums to discuss new players, and do features like the “100 Gifted Guitarists You Should Know.”
Now it’s your turn. Chime in below and share a player you have “discovered” and how you found him or her. While you’re at it, where is YOUR place to find out about new players?