How to Play the Hawaiian Steel Guitar
A steel guitar, guitar, and ukulele teacher, Allen was born in Hilo, Hawai i, and raised on O ahu. As a twenty-year-old guitarist, he worked on the mainland with masters of the Hawaiian steel guitar, Andy Aiona, Danny Steward, Lani Sang, Pua Almeida, Sam Koki, and many others, at the Seven Seas Restaurant in Hollywood, California.  During his years in Hawai i and abroad, he has played steel guitar with Alfred Apaka, Haunani Kahalewai, Charles K.L. Davis, Sterling Mossman, Barney Isaacs, Norman Isaacs, Merle Kekuku, Jerry Byrd, Alan Akaka, Casey Olsen, Hiram Olsen, George Paoa, Alec Kaeck, and the group from Hawaii Calls Nina Kealiiwahamana, Joe Recca, Beverly Noa, Gary Aiko, George Kuo, Iwalani Kahalewai, Leilani Kuhau, Herbert Ohta, Bill Bigelow, E/P, Don McDairmid, Jr., Chairman. In Japan, I worked with Kiyoshi Kobayashi, Chikao Toriyama, Ken Matsukata, Kaori Eto, Naga Chan of Tokyo s Club Hanalei and Coney Island Hawaiian Club, and Aoyama Enterprises. In 1993, Allen was awarded a Master Artist Teacher, A.S.F.C.A. Folk Arts Award from the Hawai i State Foundation on Culture and the Arts and also from the Hawai i Academy of Recording Artists, H.A.R.A.