Guitarist Steve Massa’s bio it states, “I am so proud and happy to be a part of this group”. That group being the Ted Poley band.
I recently asked the legendary vocalist (Danger Danger & Poley/Pichler) to lend some insight in to the man himself.
This is what Ted had to say:
“Steve Massa is truly one of the greatest talents that I have ever had the pleasure of playing with. As my lead and only guitar player, he has brought my live band to a new level musically and I cant imaging ever playing with anyone else on lead guitar live or in the studio. He has become more of a brother and close friend than just a guitarist.”
“He is also one of the most intelligent, and funny guys that you could ever ask for as a band mate, never at a loss for a story, and he makes rehearsals and gigs a real pleasure, I always look forward to playing music with Steve, whether its in my basement studio or in front of 10,000 fans. Its always fun and my fans LOVE him. What can I say, Steve is a first class guy all around!”
“Don’t tell him I said this or he will demand a pay raise!”
“Thank you Ted, but I am afraid Steve will see this, Sorry LOL”
From my first contact with Steve almost seven months ago till this very moment, he has proven Ted right on every single point. It will not be an easy feat to surmise the very gifted artist’s twenty plus year career or how rare a man he really is, and how honored I am to have Steve’s long time support here at LHM, Thank you Steve!
Steve has spent years working to achieve this level of success, his dedication to his craft and the genuine joy that exudes from this man when playing or talking about his music is completely infectious.
I asked Steve why he started playing music, he told me “I started playing music and studying guitar at the age of 12 after hearing Eddie Van Halen’s’ “Eruption” on the first Van Halen record. It blew me away, in terms of the sound, energy, intensity and articulation that Eddie has become so known for. I was immediately drawn to the instrument, and I quickly realized that the electric guitar was an incredible source of expression for me at a young age. It wasn’t long before I was living with it, and learning to appreciate other styles, including jazz, blues and R&B. Plus, being a young, catholic school student, it was also a great way to be rebellious. A wild rock guitarist in training. lol!”
Influenced by some of the greatest players in music his list is extensive it includes (just to name a few) Edward Van Halen ( as Steve just mentioned above), Steve Vai, Mike Stern, Neal Schon, Steve Lukather, Tony Mattola, Joe Pass, Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani, Craig Chaquico, Gary Moore, Rik Emmet, Steve Morse and Carlos Santana, the culmination of which explain Steve’s tremendous versatility and ability to play rock, jazz and blues, fluently and with unparalleled intensity.
He first began studying music in 1983 with John Olin and Ed Capuano in Lyndhurst, two of the most influential and accomplished guitar and music instructors at the time in the northern New Jersey area. It was not long after that Steve began teaching himself, over the last twenty years Steve has literally taught hundreds of people to play all the while, pursuing his own musical dreams.
When asked why he chose to become a guitar teacher Steve said “My decision to become involved with teaching came naturally, as I started teaching one or two friends after only two or three years of playing. I connected with the instrument on an intellectual level at an early age, immersing myself in theory and technique, and I was always excited to share this knowledge and ability with other players and guitar students who may have been struggling to make progress as they were learning.” Steve also mentioned the most valuable thing he was able to teach his students is “Proper technique from day one… and good practice habits are paramount to growing as a player and breaking plateaus, along with being open minded and learning from all musicians, and not just rock guitarists. Some of my biggest influences have been keyboardists, percussionists, song writers and arrangers.”
I asked Steve to give me a synopsis of his current career status and his accomplishments to date, he very succinctly summed it up.
“Currently I am employed full-time as a Marketing Communications Representative for a corporation based out of Morris County, NJ, and I am involved with product marketing campaigns in the electronics and high-tech manufacturing industries. I enjoy what I do on a professional level outside of music. Musically speaking, besides performing with Ted Poley on a regular and committed basis, I get involved with studio recording/sessions and various side projects, which give me the opportunity to keep myself sharp and well rounded with jazz, R&B and blues guitar styles. I still teach guitar to an extent as well, and maintain a limited number of students, as this is something that I have always enjoyed doing for the past eighteen years.”
“My accomplishments include becoming versatile in styles including rock, jazz, blues and R&B, with more recent studies in New Age music since Craig Chaquico is my favorite player and artist these days. I have recorded with Steve Thornton, touring percussionist with the Miles Davis band, as well as members of Blood, Sweat & Tears.”
” I am proud of my accomplishments as a teacher and instructor, helping others reach their own personal goals on the instrument.”
” Lastly, landing the gig with my good friend and very entertaining band leader Ted Poley has been the most fun and rewarding experience. This band is a family, on and off stage, and we have all become very close within a short period of time. Ted, the band, everyone around us and the fans are just amazing and very supportive. We are delighted to share our musical chemistry with the fans each time we hit the stage!”
Steve is a wonderful communicator and never at a loss for words (one of the best things about Steve, it makes for a great interview LOL) and I must admit his final word’s truly touched me (Thanks Steve)
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you, Ellie, for your generosity, professionalism, enthusiasm and interest in me as a person and as a musician. You are a wonderful person! Your valuable time, effort and hard work is so much appreciated…thank you for all that you do with your involvement to promote and support everyone in the music community and here on LHM!”