Guitar is Steve's first love but he also plays fiddle, mandolin, and banjo in a wide variety of musical styles including classic rock, blues, funk, bluegrass, old time, and as an accompanist to singer songwriters. He is a gifted guitar technician who specializes in setting-up an instrument to sound its best and be most responsive and playable, and he builds and services guitar tube amplifiers. Steve's passion for playing the guitar was ignited in 1967 when, at the age of 12, he first touched the strings on a plastic party favor guitar his folks had lying around the house. He then borrowed a small guitar from a neighbor and even though he knew nothing about how to tune it or play chords, he found his own way on the instrument (despite the fact that it was missing a string) and started playing the songs he loved$emdash;60's classic rock by his holy trinity: Hendrix, Clapton, and Beck. Steve draws on this innate dogged determination to help inspire others to find their own music. In 1974, he attended his first Bluegrass festival in Ottawa, Ohio, close to his small, historic hometown of Perrysburg. This music woke up something in his DNA and he threw himself into learning fiddle, banjo, and mandolin in the nurturing atmosphere of the festivals at that time. This experience helped forge the foundation of his teaching style: approachability, acceptance, and openness. Steve's style of instruction de-mystifies the concept of "making music" for his students and inspires people of any age to take a chance and grow musically. His enthusiastic playing and teaching have a way of pulling people into music.
