Mel Bay Music Theory in the Real World: A Practical Guide for Today's Musician
Born in 1946, Michael Perlowin started playing the guitar at age 14 after hearing the Kingston Trio's recording of Tom Dooley. Within 3 years he was playing professionally accompanying local folk singers, while studying harmony and music theory in college. A few years later he, like so many other folk-oriented musicians, went electric and played lead guitar in a number of Los Angeles-based rock and blues bands. During the mid '70s, by virtue of being in the right place at the right time, he got a job in a local country band. At the time, he knew nothing about country music. Says Michael, "The first time in my life I ever heard country music I was on stage playing it." It was at this time that he began the study of the pedal steel guitar, with which he has been obsessed ever since. Today Michael's major interest is in transcribing classical works for the pedal steel.