I had an excellent lesson on Skype with Matt this week and within minutes he had offered some really useful observations about my right hand saving me the 5 years plus it might have taken by the dreaded method of self discovery.
Matt kindly put me on the list for the Sam Outlaw show in Glasgow a week or two ago - i was really impressed by his beautiful tone, pitch and general musicality. He's good craic too and we had a great chat about pedal steel afterwards.
I'd certainly recommend anyone beginning pedal steel and indeed anyone feeling a bit uncertain about their direction after several years of playing. He offered me a great new focus and skilfully shifted me away from the kind of habitual noodling at home and with bands that can make me and many like me, I'm sure, feel stale or frustrated. He also has an abundant and instinctive knowledge of theory that he presents helpfully and unpretentiously.
And even if you can't visit him in the flesh, Skype proved absolutely no impediment to really effective communication and guidance.
Right, I'm off for a practice,
Tim


